20 Stitches On Head And Fractured Shoulder: Cricketers Absconding After Assaulting Head Coach Over Non-Selection

An U-19 head coach was allegedly assaulted by cricketers after ignoring them for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
S. Venkataraman, the U-19 head coach of the Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP), was allegedly assaulted by three local cricketers “with the intention of killing" him after they were ignored for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament. According to a report in The Indian Express, the alleged incident is said to have taken place on the morning of December 8, when Venkataraman was inside the CAP complex.
The coach has reportedly suffered a head injury and a shoulder fracture. He received 20 stitches on his forehead.
An FIR has been filed and the accused cricketers, all local, are allegedly absconding.
“Venkataraman received 20 stitches on his forehead, but he is stable. The said players are absconding, and we are trying to track them. Further details will be revealed in due course," the publication quoted Sub-Inspector S. Rajesh of the Sedarapet police station as saying.
In his complaint, Venkataraman has claimed that Bharathidasan Pondicherry Cricketers’ Forum Secretary G. Chandran instigated the three cricketers to attack him.
“Around 11 a.m. on December 8, 2025, I was in the indoor nets inside the CAP complex before Pondicherry senior cricketers Karthikeyan, Aravinddaraj, and Santhosh Kumaran came and began to abuse me, insisting that I was the reason for their non-selection in the SMAT (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) squad. While Aravinddaraj held me, Karthikeyan took the bat that Santhosh Kumaran had and attacked me with the intention of killing me. They hit me, saying Chandran had told them that they would get a chance only if they killed me," the complaint reads.
Bharathidasan Pondicherry Cricketers’ Forum Denies Allegations
The Forum president, Senthil Kumaran, has denied the allegations made against Chandran.
“Venkataraman has a documented history of several cases against him. He has often been known to behave rudely with local cricketers, using obscene language. His grudge against Chandran is also well-known, considering that we have repeatedly raised several issues within the CAP to the BCCI over the last seven years," Kumaran was quoted as saying.