Uttarakhand cricketer Rajan Kumar tests positive for doping

Published - 06 Jan 2026, 10:03 IST | Updated - 06 Jan 2026, 10:24 IST

Uttarakhand left-arm pacer Rajan Kumar recently tested positive for banned substances, leading to his provisional suspension by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). Kumar last represented Uttarakhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this season.

According to an India Today report, Kumar’s dope sample tested positive for three prohibited substances, including anabolic steroids Drostanolone and Metenolone, along with Clomifene. While Drostanolone and Metenolone are known for their muscle-building and performance-enhancing properties, Clomifene is typically prescribed as a fertility drug for women. Still, it is also misused by male athletes to restore testosterone levels.

Following the positive test result, NADA provisionally suspended Kumar, as per standard anti-doping procedures. The cricketer has not released any official statement so far, and it is unclear whether he will challenge the findings or seek testing of his B sample. Kumar last featured for Uttarakhand in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Group D match against Delhi, played in Ahmedabad on December 8, 2025.

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The last Indian cricketer to fail a dope test was Prithvi Shaw in 2019, while Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Anshula Rao was caught in 2020. Shaw’s 2019 case drew nationwide attention after the batter admitted to an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, stating that the prohibited substance Terbutaline entered his system through an over-the-counter cough syrup. Shaw was handed an eight-month ban by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

India has topped the World Anti-Doping Agency’s annual list of nations with the most doping violators for three consecutive years. With India set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad and bidding for the 2036 Olympic Games, the issue has drawn immense attention.

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had earlier directed authorities to take tougher calls, instructing the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and NADA to conduct aggressive awareness campaigns and impose strict action against repeat violators.