Cricketers attack Puducherry coach with bat after non-selection in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy squad

The Cricket Association of Puducherry (CAP) was left in shock on Monday after its under-19 head coach S Venkataraman was allegedly attacked inside the association’s training center by three local cricketers upset over the lack of selection for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). The incident took place around 11 am in front of the domestic nets, where Venkataraman suffered a head trauma that required 20 stitches and a fractured shoulder.

The police registered an FIR at the Sedarapet police station. Sub-inspector S Rajesh confirmed the seriousness of the injuries, adding that the accused players were “escaping” and efforts were on to trace them, according to the Indian Express.

The CAP in crisis after shocking incidents

In his police complaint, Venkataraman named Karthikeyan Jayasundaram, A Aravinddaraj and S Santhosh Kumaran as the attackers. He also alleged that the trio acted on the instructions of G Chandran, secretary of the Bharathidasan Puducherry Cricketers’ Forum. According to the complaint, Venkataraman said:

“Around 11 am on December 8, 2025, I was in the infield nets of the CAP complex before Puducherry senior cricketers Karthikeyan, Aravinddaraj and Santhosh Kumaran came and started abusing me, insisting that I was the reason for their non-selection in the SMAT (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) team. While Aravinddaraj held me, Karthikeyan took the stick that Santhosh Kumaran had and attacked me with it with the intention of killing me. They beat me, saying that Chandran had told them that they would only have a chance if they killed me.

The Bharathidasan forum strongly denied the allegation, saying Venkataraman had a history of disputes with local players and behaved rudely with them. Its president, Senthil Kumaran, said Venkataraman was “well known” for his past conflicts and insisted that Chandran played no role in the assault.

When it comes to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Puducherry had their highlights beating heavyweights like Baroda, Bengal and Haryana in the elite Group C. However, with four wins in seven matches, they failed to qualify for the Super League, which is scheduled to begin on December 12.

Corruption allegations over Puducherry Cricket

The violent episode comes just a day after an Indian Express investigation exposed long-standing tensions within the CAP, revealing how local players were regularly sidelined while cricketers from outstations allegedly secured places using fake education certificates and Aadhaar documents. Since 2021, only five cricketers born in Puducherry have played a Ranji Trophy match, according to the survey.

Responding to the wider allegations, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the report raised “serious questions” which the board would look into. CAP CEO Raju Metha, however, defended the association, insisting that all stakeholders had met eligibility norms and that there was “zero tolerance for corruption”.