Dope Test of Indian Cricketers: Zero tests for Virat Kohli in 2021-2022; Rohit Sharma most-tested with 6 times

WADA published the report following an investigation into allegations that elements of the testing program of NADA were not in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI).

WADA questions NADA’s efficiency

In its report, WADA stated that its I&I’s long-running investigation, known as ‘Operation Carousel’, was launched in 2018 and it found evidence that NADA did not carry out adequate testing on some athletes, who are registered under its (NADA’s) registered testing pool (RTP).

The report further claimed that the national anti-doping agency even failed to put in place appropriate monitoring of athletes’ whereabouts information of some athletes.

“The investigation monitored select sports and athletes within India and, as a result, in cooperation with NADA, 12 positive tests (Adverse Analytical Findings) and 97 whereabouts failures of 70 athletes were identified. These are now subject to results management processes as appropriate,” the WADA report stated.

Now an RTI report has uncovered that NADA has conducted 5961 dope tests in 2021 and 2022. Of these, only 114 Indian cricketers have tested for dope and several big names, including former captain Virat Kohli, haven’t been tested once by NADA.

An RTI report published by The Indian Express revealed that India’s Olympic sports athletes have been constantly under scrutiny as 1717 tests were alone done on sports persons from track and field. But several male cricketers have not been tested in the years 2021 and 2022.

The data, however, does not imply any wrongdoing on the part of the cricketers but it does underlines the fact that NADA isn’t doing enough to nab potential offenders.

After years of defiance from the BCCI, cricket was brought under the government-run anti-doping agency’s ambit in August 2019. Citing privacy and security concerns, cricketers have been reluctant to come under the NADA ambit.

According to WADA statistics, the UK anti-doping agency conducted 96 out-of-competition tests on its cricketers in 2021 while 69 tests were conducted against Australian cricketers during the same period. In India, that number stood at 12.

RTI Findings on Dope Test of Indian Cricketers

As per the RTI findings of The Indian Express, only 12 out of 25 male cricketers – who are contracted with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) – have undergone dope Tests. Seven Indian cricketers, including Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Cheteshwar Pujara, were tested just once by NADA.

India skipper Rohit Sharma has been tested by dope control officers 6 times in the last two years, making him the most-tested Indian cricketer. The officers have collected samples from the top-order batter in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai and the UAE.

The list of cricketers not tested includes former India captain Virat Kohli, current limited-overs skipper Hardik Pandya, fast bowlers Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur and Arshdeep Singh; batsmen Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, wicket-keeper batsmen Sanju Samson and Srikar Bharat, and all-rounder Washington Sundar.

While every member in the Indian national women’s cricket team was subjected to the testing process at least once with captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her deputy Smriti Mandhana tested maximum times – 3 each – during the same period.