Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel included in NADA Registered Testing Pool during IPL 2026
The two T20 World Cup-winners of the Indian cricket team, Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel, amidst the IPL 2026, have been added to the NADA Registered Testing Pool.
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The excitement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has reached its peak with strong batting and bowling performances in the first couple of weeks. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) stand at the top of the points table with four victories in five encounters at a net run rate of +0.889.
However, few haven’t done well yet in getting their best performance as they have not gotten the best balanced combination. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are at the bottom of the points table for a net run rate of -1.383 as they are yet to get a single win in five fixtures.
What is NADA? Understanding India’s anti-doping authority
The NADA is called the National Anti-Doping Agency in cricket and is the authorized Indian body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports that conducts the doping tests for the Indian players, having followed the agreement in 2019 that brought the BCCI under its ambit.
It has ensured players get tests for the banned substances, enforcing the dope-free examinations. After years of resistance, the BCCI agreed to come under the authorization in August 2019, which meant that all the players would now be subject to testing.
Before the year, the Indian board had used the Swedish Company (IDTM) for testing instead of the NADA.
What is the Registered Testing Pool in cricket?
The Registered Testing Pool (RTP) in cricket is the highest-priority group of the national-level and international players who have been selected by the ICC or the national boards for the doping control of the competition. The players in the pool must submit quarterly information on their whereabouts.
This includes the 60-minute daily time slot, which allows anti-doping officers to test them anytime and anyplace without notice. The purpose of it has been to enable strict no-advance-notice testing, which ensures athletes are available for the random drug tests.
What does it mean by inclusion in NADA’s testing pool important for players
The two World Cup 2026 winners for the Indian side, opener Abhishek Sharma and spin all-rounder Axar Patel, have been added to the RTP list, which continues to be dominated by athletics for the second quarter of the ongoing year. They have replaced Smriti Mandhana and Shreyas Iyer in the latest list of 348 persons in the RTP.
They will have to share their whereabouts and be ready for testing at any time. The other cricketing games remain unchanged, with Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Tilka Varma, and KL Rahul being part of it.
From the women’s team, which won a historic ODI World Cup, all-rounder Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma continue to be on the list along with Renuka Singh. In all, 14 players have been placed on the NADA list.
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