Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shafali Verma have received notices from the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after failing to show up for scheduled anti-doping tests during 2025. The development marks the first whereabouts lapse for both players, and NADA has treated the missed “whereabouts” requirements as a compliance issue rather than a positive drug finding.
NADA notices after missed whereabouts tests
Jaiswal and Verma are both listed in NADA’s Registered Testing Pool (RTP). Reports indicate they did not provide explanations for missing the rope test/whereabouts-related checks, which triggered the formal notices.
A senior source was quoted stating, “Notices have been issued to the concerned athletes, and the information has been passed on to the national federation, which is the BCCI, as well as to the ICC.”
BCCI response and next steps
The BCCI has acknowledged receiving the communication from NADA. A board source said the governing body will seek clarity on what led to the missed tests and will then outline corrective actions to prevent a repeat.
“Yes, we have received notification from NADA on missed tests. We will check with them as to how it happened, and will take necessary steps so that such things do not happen in future,” the source said.
The same official also stressed the importance of strict adherence to the anti-doping framework, adding that cricket has returned to the Olympic programme and that all protocols must be followed to ensure smooth conduct of events.
How the RTP whereabouts system works
Cricketers included in the RTP are required to share their daily whereabouts with NADA and remain reachable for testing during a set window each day. Under the regulations, a doping control officer may arrive within that specified period to collect samples.
- RTP athletes must provide whereabouts information to NADA.
- They must be available for sample collection within the daily testing window.
- A doping control officer can conduct testing during the designated time range.
- As per the rules, three missed tests are treated as a doping violation and can result in suspensions.
RTP roster snapshot and past cricket doping cases
NADA has listed 13 cricketers in its RTP for the current quarter. The pool includes players such as Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Tilak Verma and Arshdeep Singh. The overall RTP setup covers 348 athletes in total.
- Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Tilak Verma and Arshdeep Singh are among the RTP members.
- Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel have been added to the latest roster.
- Smriti Mandhana and Shreyas Iyer have been replaced in the updated list.
- In the women’s set-up, Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh are also included.
Doping violations have remained a recurring controversy in cricket, with several high-profile episodes shaping the sport’s approach to drug testing and compliance. One of the sport’s most talked-about incidents involved Shane Warne. In 2003, shortly before the World Cup, Warne returned a positive test for a banned diuretic. He said he had taken a tablet his mother provided to help improve his appearance, and Cricket Australia imposed a one-year ban.
Another notable case came in 2006, when Shoaib Akhtar tested positive for nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, alongside teammate Mohammad Asif. The PCB initially gave Akhtar a two-year ban and Asif a one-year suspension, but the decisions were later overturned for both players due to concerns over problems in the testing process.
