An under-19 cricket coach was brutally assaulted on Monday afternoon at the Cricket Association of Puducherry (CAP) grounds in Puducherry, where police say three local cricketers attacked him with a cricket bat after confronting him over their non selection for the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Hyderabad.
According to investigators, coach Venkataraman was supervising net practice when the accused, identified as Karthikayan, Arvindraj and Santosh Kumaran, approached him and questioned their omission from the tournament squad. Police say the confrontation escalated quickly, resulting in what officers described as a targeted and violent assault before the trio fled the scene.
A senior police officer told NDTV that the attack was “premeditated and extremely violent”, adding that all three suspects remain on the run. “We are on the lookout for all three”, the officer said.
Venkataraman suffered fractures to his shoulder and rib cage, along with a deep gash on his forehead that required 20 sutures. He is currently undergoing treatment. The police have registered a case of attempted murder and confirmed that CCTVs inside the CAP facility were not functioning at the time of the assault.
The incident has prompted outrage within Puducherry’s cricket community, with officials condemning the attack as a disturbing marker of rising pressure and indiscipline among young players. CAP sources said the association would fully cooperate with the police investigation and undertake internal action once the inquiry is complete.
The assault, carried out inside one of the region’s premier cricket venues, has raised broader concerns over player management, security at training facilities and the intensifying tensions surrounding state level team selections. Police say their immediate priority is locating the suspects and ensuring accountability for an attack that has left the coaching fraternity deeply shaken.
