Abhishek Sharma Axar Patel Anti-Doping List: In a significant development during IPL 2026, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has brought Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma under closer scrutiny.
Both players have been added to the Registered Testing Pool (RTP), a move that mandates stricter anti-doping compliance. As part of this inclusion, the Delhi Capitals (DC) captain and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) vice-captain will now be required to regularly submit their whereabouts and remain available for testing at designated times.
What RTP Inclusion Means For Players
The RTP is a select group of athletes monitored closely by NADA to ensure adherence to anti-doping regulations. Players on this list must provide daily location details to facilitate out-of-competition testing.
Failure to comply can have serious consequences. Missing or failing to update whereabouts information three times is treated as a doping violation, even in the absence of a positive test result. The latest RTP list includes 348 athletes across disciplines, with 14 cricketers making the cut.
Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma have replaced Smriti Mandhana and Shreyas Iyer in the updated roster.
Top Indian Cricketers Continue On List
Several prominent names from Indian cricket continue to feature in the RTP. These include Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh and Tilak Varma.
From the women’s side, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma and Renuka Singh Thakur also remain under the RTP umbrella.
Athletics & Other Sports Dominate List
While cricket features notable names, athletics continues to dominate the RTP, with 134 athletes included, an increase from the previous 118. Among them are Avinash Sable, Jyothi Yarraji, Tejaswin Shankar and Amiya Mallick.
Other sports are also well represented. Archery features names like Deepika Kumari and Sheetal Devi, while hockey includes Manpreet Singh and Harmanpreet Singh.
Badminton stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen also feature, alongside boxing names such as Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain.
Focus on Compliance, Not Controversy
The inclusion of athletes in the RTP is a routine anti-doping measure aimed at maintaining transparency and fairness in sport. While the move has drawn attention due to the high-profile names involved, it does not imply any wrongdoing.
With IPL 2026 in full swing, Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma will now balance their on-field commitments with stricter off-field compliance requirements under NADA’s watch.