They assaulted him with a bat.
Indian Cricket coach S Venkataraman remains in recovery after a violent assault inside the Cricket Association of Pondicherry complex that shocked the local cricket community.
Police say the coach was attacked on December 8, 2025, by three players.
They allegedly confronted him about their exclusion from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy squad and then turned violent.
Investigators stated that the coach suffered a severe head wound and a fractured shoulder that required twenty stitches and immediate medical attention.
Officers have lodged a formal case while confirming that the coach is now stable, although the accused players have escaped and remain untraceable.
Sub Inspector S Rajesh said the search for the trio is continuing and added that statements from witnesses inside the facility are being collected for further clarity.
Venkataraman alleged in his complaint that the attack was not spontaneous and that it was encouraged by Bharathidasan Pondicherry Cricketers Forum Secretary G Chandran.
He claimed the three senior players identified as Karthikeyan, Aravinddaraj, and Santhosh Kumaran confronted him at the indoor nets.
They accused him of deliberately keeping them out of the tournament squad.
The coach said the players escalated the argument quickly, and they assaulted him with a bat.
He told investigators that the confrontation began with verbal abuse before turning into a physical attack that left him disoriented and bleeding heavily.
The allegations have intensified tensions already present between the association leadership and the local players’ collective.
Forum president Senthil Kumaran rejected the coach’s version of events.
He argued that Venkataraman has long been known for behaviour that upset several local cricketers.
He said the coach often mistreated players and suggested that the accusations arose from previous disagreements that escalated in recent months.
Kumaran added that the Forum had raised multiple concerns about the association’s operations with the cricket board over the past seven years.
He believes this contributed to the coach’s resentment.
Officials inside the facility said tensions had been simmering as squad selections approached, but insisted no one imagined the situation could erupt into such a violent episode.
Several administrators privately expressed concern that the incident could worsen divisions within Pondicherry cricket.
Police are reviewing surveillance footage from the complex and interviewing staff to establish the sequence of events that led to the assault.
Authorities expect to question more witnesses this week while urging the three players to surrender as the investigation accelerates.
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