Former KKR cricketer tests positive for cocaine, serves month-long sentence; here is what happened

Australian batsman Chris Lynn has served a month-long ban after testing positive for cocaine during England’s home T20 earlier this year. The 36-year-old, who represented Northamptonshire in the T20 Blast, returned an unfavorable result after a doping test carried out on Finals Day on July 18.England’s cricket regulator confirmed on Thursday that Lynn had admitted taking cocaine out of competition and subsequently completed a substance abuse treatment program, which played a role in reducing his suspension from three months to one.Lynn underwent a routine doping test after Northamptonshire clinched the T20 Blast title for the third time. The Australian scored 39 and four in two matches on Finals Day. A sample of his urine was later sent to a laboratory in France, where it tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.The batter traveled to Sri Lanka shortly after the tournament to participate in the Lanka Premier League (LPL). However, his campaign with the Galle Gallants ended prematurely after he was ruled out with an unspecified leg injury on 29 July, appearing in just one match.On 31 July, Lynn was informed by the cricket regulator of the adverse analytical finding and was provisionally suspended. He subsequently admitted to using cocaine, confirming that it occurred outside of sporting competition and was unrelated to his cricketing performance.Lynn revealed that the substance was used “for several hours during the evening of July 15, 2026 and into the early hours of July 16, 2026.”Earlier on 15 July, he was injured in Northamptonshire’s quarter-final win over Gloucestershire after being struck on the leg by a low full throw from Duane Jansen.Cricket’s regulator initially laid two anti-doping charges against Lynn under England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regulations. However, one of the charges was later dropped after it was found that the concentration of cocaine found in his sample was below the minimum limit prescribed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.Although the regulator initially proposed a three-month suspension, the sentence was reduced to one month after Lynn committed to a substance abuse treatment program. The program was completed on August 30, a month after its temporary suspension began.Lynn, who has represented Australia in four ODIs and 18 T20Is, has not played professional cricket since the start of his ban. He is also yet to officially sign a contract with a franchise for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season, although Australian media reports suggest he has agreed to join the Melbourne Renegades.