In a recent report published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), India's anti-doping programme came under scrutiny as evidence of inadequate drug tests on the country's athletes was uncovered.
In addition, an Indian Express report further revealed disparity in the number of dope tests conducted on Indian cricketers in 2021 and 2022, obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
Although cricket came under the government-run anti-doping agency's ambit in August 2019, the RTI data reveals a different picture. Out of a total of 5,961 tests conducted, only 114 were on cricketers. In comparison, 1,717 tests were carried out in athletics, the highest among all sports.
Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma emerged as the most-tested cricketer during these two years, with six visits from dope control officers in various locations. Conversely, seven players, including Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, and Cheteshwar Pujara, were tested only once.
Surprisingly, the NADA did not conduct any tests on 12 out of the 25 male players contracted with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Notably, star cricketers like Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Mohammad Shami, and Mohd Siraj were among those who were not tested.
While every player in the women's national team was tested at least once during this period, the data raises concerns about the anti-doping body's efforts to catch potential offenders among male cricketers.
In contrast, India's Olympic athletes were subjected to regular testing, with Olympic silver medalists Ravi Dahiya and Mirabai Chanu being tested 18 and eight times, respectively, during the same period. This highlights a significant disparity in the anti-doping approach between cricket and other Olympic sports in the country.
Out-of-competition testing, a crucial component of the anti-doping program, was minimal for Indian cricketers. In comparison, major cricket-playing nations like England and Australia conducted far more out-of-competition tests on their players.
This discrepancy has been a point of concern for cricketers in the past, who have expressed reluctance to share their whereabouts due to privacy and security concerns. The WADA report emphasizes the need for India's anti-doping program to step up its efforts and ensure equal scrutiny across all sports, including cricket.