Chris Lynn Faces Ban After Cocaine Violation

Ritam

Chris Lynn during IPL (Source: AFP Photos)

Chris Lynn, who once had a whopping IPL contract worth INR 9.6 crore, received a one-month ban from cricket. ECB's Cricket Regulator punished the Australian after he tested positive for cocaine use while playing in England.

Lynn underwent an In-Competition Doping Control test on July 18 while playing in T20 Blast Finals Day matches between Northampton, Somerset and Hampshire in Birmingham. A urine sample was sent to a World Anti-Doping Agency laboratory in France.

On August 20, the 36-year-old confirmed that he had taken the drug on the evening of July 15 and in the early hours of July 16.

Lynn’s Suspension For Cocaine Won’t Affect BBL Availability

As Cocaine is listed as a WADA-prohibited stimulant, Chris Lynn had to serve the punishment after the violation.

"The Cricket Regulator has imposed a one-month suspension on former Northamptonshire Steelbacks cricketer Chris Lynn. The period of suspension has now been served," a Cricket Regulator report read.

"Mr Lynn produced an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for the presence of cocaine's Metabolite, benzoylecgonine, related to an In Competition sample collected on the 18 July 2026. Mr Lynn has accepted the sanction," it added.

However, his ban has already been completed, as the dates during which he was banned from cricket were July 31 to August 30. Therefore, his participation in the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League (BBL), the competition in which he is expected to have a new team in the Melbourne Renegades, is safe.

Chris Lynn's Career At A Glance

Earlier, Lynn played for Adelaide Strikers and Brisbane Heat in the BBL. He is the highest run-scorer in the competition’s history, having made 4133 runs in 137 matches at an average of over 35 and a strike rate of 149.20.

Lynn played four ODIs and 18 T20Is for Australia but did not make a significant impact with the bat. In the IPL, he was primarily with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), while also representing Mumbai Indians (MI) and Deccan Chargers.

Lynn made 400 or more runs in back-to-back seasons in IPL 2018 and IPL 2019. However, his most impactful IPL season was IPL 2017, in which he struck at 180.98 after making 295 runs across seven innings at an average of almost 50.