The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has updated its Registered Test Team (RTP) for 2025, including prominent names from the Indian cricket team. Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill are among the elite Indian cricketers shortlisted in NADA’s anti-doping programme.
The National Anti-Doping Agency’s Drug Control Officers (DCOs) will collect samples from selected players during the white ball series between India and England. The aim of this program is to promote transparency and fairness in sport by regularly testing athletes to ensure they are following anti-doping rules.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been informed of these measures, which will come into effect immediately, with the DCOs expected to visit multiple venues during the series. India will face England in the five-match T20I series, with the first match to be played in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22.
Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah among cricketers part of Anti-Doping Agency’s testing team
According to a Times of India report, a total of 14 male and female cricketers, along with athletes from other disciplines, are included in the Registered Testing Pool. Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson and Tilak Verma are also part of the updated list.
Three women cricketers – opener Shafali Verma, all-rounder Deepti Sharma and pacer Renuka Singh Thakur – are also included in the RTP. NADA is committed to strengthening its anti-doping efforts by including some of India’s top cricketing talents.
First RTP for doping included Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul
The National Anti-Doping Agency introduced the Registered Test Squad for cricketers in 2019. Ravindra Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma were part of the list.
These players provided their whereabouts information for testing. However, in 2020, Pujara, Jadeja, Rahul, Mandhana and Sharma were cautioned after failing to submit their whereabouts due to a technical issue, which was explained by the BCCI as an error and complications from the COVID-19 lockdown.
Athletes required to provide whereabouts information
“Athletes participating in the RTP are required to provide whereabouts information, which will then be used by Nada to locate them for an efficient out-of-competition sample collection process,” the report said.
“Where” is specific information, including their home address, email and phone number, and overnight address, that Athletes are required to provide for anti-doping purposes. Athletes must also provide a 60-minute window each day in which they are available for testing.
Prithvi Shaw failed a doping test in 2020 after testing positive for the banned substance (terbutaline). Shaw claimed he had accidentally consumed it, but faced a suspension for the offence.
Other cricketers like Yusuf Pathan, Pradeep Sangwan and Anshula Rao have also been banned by the BCCI for failing doping tests.
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2025-01-22 10:34:00
