BCCI suspends Abhishek Gupta for doping violation

Mr Abhishek Gupta registered with Punjab Cricket Association has been suspended for the doping violation. Mr Gupta had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups.

Mr Gupta had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI’s anti-doping testing program during a domestic T-20 competition on 15th January 2018 in New Delhi. His sample was tested and found to contain Terbutaline which is a prohibited substance both In & Out of Competition in the WADA Prohibited List of Substances.

On 17th April 2018, Mr Gupta was charged with the commission of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under the BCCI Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) Article 2.1 and provisionally suspended pending determination of the charge. Mr Gupta responded to the charge by admitting the ADRV but asserting that it was inadvertent, being caused by his ingestion of medication containing Terbutaline that had been prescribed for him by his doctor.

BCCI satisfied with the explanation

The BCCI is satisfied with Mr Gupta’s explanation that he had taken Terbutaline inadvertently to treat an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) and not as a performance-enhancing drug. Having considered all of the evidence and taken expert external advice, the BCCI has accepted Mr Gupta’s explanation of the cause of his ADRV, and on that basis has agreed that a period of ineligibility of eight months should apply, together with the disqualification of certain results.

Under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.3, Mr Gupta is entitled to a full credit against that period of ineligibility for the provisional suspension that he has been serving since 18th April 2018.  In addition, because Mr Gupta promptly admitted his ADRV upon being confronted with it by the BCCI, there is discretion under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2 to back-date the start of the period of Ineligibility to the date of sample collection (15th January 2018). The eight-month period of Ineligibility will, therefore, be deemed to have started to run on 15th January 2018, so that it will end at midnight on 14th September 2018.

The BCCI has a zero-tolerance approach towards doping in Cricket. All Cricketers are personally responsible for ensuring that anything they eat, drink or put in their body does not give rise to an ADRV under the BCCI Anti-Doping Code. The BCCI provides a dedicated 24X7 Anti-Doping Helpline where the Cricketers and Cricket support personnel can contact for any drug queries.

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