Indian cricketer doping scam: Indian cricketer Rajan Kumar, a left-arm fast bowler who plays for Uttarakhand, failed a dope test ahead of the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy tie and has been handed a provisional suspension by the National Anti-Doping Agency.
It is a very rare achievement for cricketers to fail dope test in the field of sports, but this Indian cricketer doping scandal has shocked BCCI. Dope test failures are more commonly found in track events and events that require momentary sparks of energy and power, but are not useful in cricket.
In the past, Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Anshula Rao and Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw are among the rarest Indian cricketers to have been found guilty of doping in 2022 and 2019 respectively. Other Indian athletes suspended over doping-related issues include Gaurav Patel (athletics), Khushboo Kumari (weightlifting), Achalveer Karwasara (boxing), Siddhant Sharma (polo) and Dhanalakshmi Shekhar (running).
Indian Cricketer Doping: Uttarakhand fast bowler Rajan Kumar suspended by NADA on doping charges
Uttarakhand’s left-arm fast bowler Rajan Kumar’s name came into prominence as he failed a dope test ahead of Uttarakhand’s upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Sikkim. Kumar last played for Uttarakhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Delhi.
The 29-year-old fast bowler tested positive for drugs in his bloodstream, including two of the most widely used performance-enhancing drugs, Drostanolone and Methenolone. Both of these drugs are anabolic-androgenic steroids and play a role in performance and strength enhancement respectively. Also found was the drug clomiphene, which is an infertility drug but can increase weight and strength in men due to its anti-estrogenic properties.
Citing all these reports, his intentions have been deemed malicious, resulting in the player being handed a temporary suspension by India’s NADA.
Indian cricketer doping: Who is Rajan Kumar, the player associated with Virat Kohli’s RCB?
Indian left-arm fast bowler Rajan Kumar, who made a rapid transition from junior cricket to senior cricket, is known as the role model of Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc. Uttarakhand handed him the cap in 2022 and it proved to be the right decision.
After this, Rajan took 10 wickets in 7 matches for Uttarakhand in the 2022-23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and became the team’s highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Following his success, he made his List-A debut in the 2022–23 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he also had an immediate impact.
Following his significant milestones for Uttarakhand in domestic cricket, he was picked up by IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2023 IPL auction and was included in the RCB camp along with greats like Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis.
Indian cricketer doping: Rajan Kumar statistics in domestic cricket for Uttarakhand
Having played limited-overs cricket matches in his career, Rajan Kumar has also played limited overs formats as well as first-class cricket for Uttarakhand. After making his T20 debut, he took 32 wickets in 26 matches for Uttarakhand.
In List A cricket in the 2024–25 season, he took five-wicket hauls for the first time and took 14 wickets in 9 50-over games for the team. Making his debut against Madhya Pradesh in first-class cricket, he took 6 wickets in both innings of the match, but his form suffered and the players continued to struggle with injuries.
Also Read: Revealed: Why Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma rejected BCCI’s order to play Vijay Hazare Trophy before New Zealand ODI
