Recent allegations made by Chetan Sharma during a sting operation by Zee News, an old wound has resurfaced again in Indian cricket, i.e DOPING! Sharma allegedly said in the sting operation that Indian cricketers resort to using fake fitness injections before taking the field even if they are not fully fit. During his conversation, Sharma promptly said the name of Bumrah, who has reportedly used these fake fitness injections before playing. Let us explore those instances from the past when Indian cricketers were caught or banned for doping. 

Yusuf Pathan

On August 14, 2017, Yusuf Pathan was handed a 5-month suspension for failing a dope test. Pathan was handed the suspension from competitive cricket due to the usage of banned substances usually found in cough syrups. The statement was given by the BCCI. The BCCI, under its anti-doping testing programme, reported the availability of banned substances in Pathan’s urine sample. The name of the banned substance found in his urine sample was Terbutaline which is prohibited as per WADA’s Prohibited List of Substances. 

Pradeep Sangwan

Delhi-born left-arm pacer Pradeep Sangwan was banned from playing competitive cricket after he was found guilty of consuming anabolic steroids. Sangwan was caught using anabolic steroids during the sixth edition of IPL in 2013 and was subsequently handed an 18-month ban by the BCCI’s Anti-Doping Tribunal. Sangwan became the first Indian cricketer to be banned for doping. 

Prithvi Shaw

The Indian test opener Prithvi Shaw found himself entangled in doping allegations when the BCCI handed him an 8-month ban for consuming banned substances found in cough syrups, like Yusuf Pathan. Shaw failed in the doping test during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Tournament in 2022 after his urine sample tested positive for terbutaline. This ban put the opener out of a place in the Indian squad for South Africa and Bangladesh series. 

In addition to these Indian cricketers, several cricketers from all across the globe like Shane Warne, Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Akhtar, Ahmed Shehzad and Yasir Shah have faced the wrath of their respective boards for failing in the anti-doping tests. As far as Indian cricketers are concerned, it is mandatory and high time that the BCCI should carry out a proper campaign across academies in India to educate youngsters about banned substances and how to avoid them.