Shoulder Fracture, 20 Stitches: Pondicherry players attack coach with bats over SMAT selection

Pondicherry won four games out of seven in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

The Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP) was taken aback on Monday when three local cricket players, furious about not being selected for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), allegedly attacked S. Venkataraman, the association’s U19 head coach, inside the training facility.  

The violent incident occurred just a day after an Indian Express investigation exposed long-simmering feuds within the CAP, detailing how out-of-state cricketers allegedly used fake Aadhaar cards and educational certificates to secure spots, while local players were often benched.

According to the analysis, only five cricketers born in Puducherry have participated in Ranji Trophy matches since 2021.

FIR lodged against Pondicherry senior cricketers

Around 11 in the morning, Venkataraman had a fractured shoulder and a head injury that required twenty stitches in the indoor nets.

An FIR has been filed at the Sedarapet police station. According to the Indian Express, Sub-Inspector S. Rajesh acknowledged the severity of the injuries and said that the accused players were “absconding” and that efforts were being made to find them.

Venkataraman identified S Santhosh Kumaran, Aravinddaraj, and Karthikeyan Jayasundaram as the attackers in his police complaint. Additionally, he claimed that G. Chandran, the secretary of the Bharathidasan Pondicherry Cricketers’ Forum, gave the three orders.

“Around 11 am 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,” Venkataraman stated in his complaint, as per the Indian Express.

The Bharathidasan forum vehemently refuted the accusation, stating that Venkataraman has a history of disagreements and disrespectful behaviour with local players. Senthil Kumaran, the organisation’s president, maintained that Chandran was not involved in the attack and stated that Venkataraman was “well-known” for prior clashes.

In the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Pondicherry have put up some good performances in Elite Group C with wins over Baroda, Bengal and Haryana. But they failed to qualify for the SMAT’s Super League, with only four wins from seven games.  

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