Indian opener Prithvi Shaw spoke about the cough syrup controversy that led to him being suspended from cricket for eight months in 2019 after testing positive for a banned substance. That phase was a major turmoil in the still early career of Prithvi Shaw after the highs of leading India to the 2018 U-19 World Cup victory.

Shaw ended up returning a positive report when he was tested as part of BCCI’s anti-doping testing program during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match on 22 February 2019. Following this, the board released an official press release and announced that Prithvi Shaw had been handed an eight-month suspension from cricket.

“Shaw’s sample was subsequently tested and found to contain Terbutaline. Terbutaline, a specified substance, is prohibited both In & Out of Competition in the WADA Prohibited List of Substances,” read the BCCI release.

Shaw mentioned that his mistake was that he did not inform the physio while buying the cough syrup from a general store just three days before the test.

“I think dad and I are responsible for the cough syrup controversy. I remember we were playing the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Indore and I was down with a cold and cough at that time. So I had gone out for dinner and was coughing a lot. So I spoke to my dad.

“He asked me to take the cough syrup available in the market. What I did wrong was did not consult the physio, which was wrong on my part. I took that syrup for two days, and on the third day, I had my dope test. So that’s when I was detected positive for a banned substance,” Shaw told Cricbuzz.

The 21-year-old also shed light on the difficulties he endured during that period and was worried about people’s negative perception of him.

“I can’t express them in words. But it was a very difficult time. I was reading about myself everywhere. I was worried about people’s perception, I thought people were thinking that I was taking banned substances and drugs. I was there for 2 and half months. I was thinking about it every day because I was having a good phase but then suddenly it all went down,” he added.

The last few months have been a roller-coaster in the career of Prithvi Shaw who was dropped from the national team after disastrous performances in Australia. He later regained form and was brilliant in the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier in the year.

Shaw was also in good touch during IPL 2021 where he scored 308 runs in eight matches before the tournament got suspended indefinitely.