India's T20 World Cup Champions Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel Enter NADA's Testing Pool
In a significant update to India's anti-doping framework, Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel, key players from India's triumphant T20 World Cup squad, have been officially added to the National Anti-Doping Agency's (NADA) Registered Testing Pool (RTP) for the second quarter of 2026. This move sees them replace Smriti Mandhana and Shreyas Iyer in the revised roster, reflecting ongoing adjustments in the monitoring of elite athletes.
Understanding NADA and the Registered Testing Pool
The National Anti-Doping Agency serves as India's premier body dedicated to combating doping in sports, operating in strict alignment with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code. Its core mission is to foster a clean and fair competitive environment through comprehensive dope testing, result management, and enforcement of sanctions for violations.
The RTP is a critical element of this system, comprising top-tier athletes who must regularly submit detailed whereabouts information, including their locations and training schedules. This enables unannounced testing at any time, both during and outside of competitions. Athletes are required to be available for testing during a designated one-hour window each day, with three failures to comply potentially treated as doping infractions.
Comprehensive Overview of the Updated RTP List
The latest RTP compilation features a total of 348 athletes spanning various disciplines, underscoring NADA's broad oversight. In cricket, the contingent remains largely stable, with notable inclusions such as:
- Shubman Gill
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Hardik Pandya
- Rishabh Pant
- Jasprit Bumrah
- KL Rahul
- Arshdeep Singh
- Tilak Varma
From the women's team, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, and Renuka Singh Thakur continue their presence. Overall, 14 cricketers are part of the pool.
Athletics Leads with Increased Representation
Athletics dominates the RTP, with its count rising from 118 to 134 athletes. Prominent names in this category include:
- Steeplechaser Avinash Sable
- Hurdler Jyothi Yarraji
- Decathlete Tejaswin Shankar
- Sprinter Animesh Kujur
- Long jumpers Shaili Singh and M Sreeshankar
- Discus thrower Tajinderpal Singh Toor
Strong Presence Across Other Sports
Other sports are well-represented in the updated list:
- Archery: Features Deepika Kumari, Rakesh Kumar, and para-archer Sheetal Devi.
- Hockey: Includes players like Manpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Hardik Singh, Salima Tete, Savita Punia, and Navneet Kaur.
- Badminton: The contingent of eight players stars PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and Gayatri Gopichand.
- Boxing: With 22 athletes, notable names are Nikhat Zareen, Nishant Dev, Jaismine Lamboria, and Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain.
- Wrestling: Forms a significant segment with 31 athletes, including Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat.
This updated RTP underscores NADA's unwavering commitment to transparency and integrity in Indian sports by rigorously monitoring top performers across diverse fields.
