Uttarakhand left-arm pacer Rajan Kumar has failed a dope test and has been placed under provisional suspension by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), marking a rare doping incident in Indian cricket. According to NADA, the 29-year-old’s sample tested positive for anabolic steroids Drostanolone and Metenolone, along with Clomifene, a drug commonly prescribed to treat infertility in women but also known to restore testosterone levels in men, making it a banned performance-enhancing substance in sports.
Kumar last appeared in competitive cricket on December 8, 2025, representing Uttarakhand against Delhi in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Group D match held in Ahmedabad. His suspension now places his domestic cricket future under serious uncertainty.
Rare Doping Cases In Indian Cricket
Doping cases in Indian cricket remain few and far between. However, there have been notable instances earlier. Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Anshula Rao tested positive for banned substances in 2020, and India opener Prithvi Shaw failed a dope test in 2019, resulting in suspension at the time.
Footballer Ratanbala Devi Also Suspended
It is not just cricket facing scrutiny. Indian women’s footballer Nongmaithem Ratanbala Devi has also been provisionally suspended after her sample tested positive for Metandienone, another anabolic steroid. Her name appears in the latest updated list of athletes penalised for doping violations.
More Indian Athletes Under NADA Watch
Several other athletes have also been listed under provisional suspension. These include:
- Gaurav Patel (Athletics)
- Khushboo Kumari (Weightlifting)
- Achalveer Karwasra (Boxing)
- Siddhant Sharma (Polo)
Dhanalakshmi Sekar Receives Eight-Year Ban
In another major development, Tamil Nadu sprinter Dhanalakshmi Sekar has been handed a strict eight-year ban, effective from September 9, 2025, marking her second doping offence. She tested positive for Drostanolone in September 2025. The 27-year-old had only recently returned to athletics in 2025 after serving a three-year ban for her 2022 doping violation.
India’s sports fraternity now finds itself under renewed anti-doping scrutiny as authorities push for stricter enforcement to maintain the integrity of competitive sports.