The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has created waves in the Indian sports scene with its recent quarterly update. In a prominent exchange for the second quarter of 2026, emerging talent Abhishek Sharma and veteran all-rounder Axar Patel have officially been included in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP).
The decision catches many off guard, as they take the place of two prominent personalities in Indian cricket— Smriti Mandhana and Shreyas Iyer. Following Mandhana’s historic WPL season, her exclusion, along with Iyer’s, from the 348-athlete roster has ignited fierce discussion among both fans and analysts.
Abhishek Sharma, Axar Patel Added To RTP: Why the swap?
The addition of Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel directly demonstrates their “elite” standing after India’s T20 World Cup victory earlier this year. In accordance with WADA-compliant regulations, NADA focuses on athletes who have significant international prominence and exceptional performance levels. Abhishek, who is now the vice-captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026, and Axar Patel, the captain of Delhi Capitals, are subject to the strictest whereabouts regulations in the nation.
Even with the notable departures of Mandhana and Iyer, the cricket squad in the RTP stays strong with 14 individuals. The men’s team still showcases the “invincibles”: Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill. Notably, emerging talents such as Tilak Varma and Arshdeep Singh have retained their positions, showcasing NADA’s commitment to long-term oversight.
For the women, although Mandhana leaves, the group of Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, and Renuka Singh Thakur stays in focus. These players symbolize the “Gold Standard” of Indian cricket, and their inclusion in the roster guarantees the sport upholds its integrity during a challenging 2026 schedule.
What is NADA’s RTP, and how does it work?
Being in the RTP requires these stars to offer a one-hour window daily for surprise testing. Three failures to deliver precise location data in 12 months are regarded as a doping infraction, holding equal significance to a positive test result.
PV Sindhu, Harmanpreet Among Non-Cricketing Sportspersons In RTP
While cricket steals the spotlight, Athletics overwhelmingly dominates the RTP, with its athlete count rising to 134. This features national figures such as Avinash Sable and Jyothi Yarraji.
Wrestling & Boxing: 31 and 22 athletes respectively, including Olympic medalist Aman Sehrawat.
Hockey: Senior captains Harmanpreet Singh and Salima Tete lead a disciplined group of seven stars.
Badminton: A focused group of eight, featuring PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen.
Vishal Pushkar is a Chief Sub-Editor with NewsX and has been associated with the company since March 2026. He has been working as a journalist since 2021. His experience includes working with Zee Media, Amazon and Dainik Jagran. Vishal holds a BA (English Honours) degree from Shyam Lal College, University of Delhi and a Post-Graduate Diploma from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi. Vishal has completed a beginner’s course in the German language as well.
