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SMAT selection rage turns violent as Puducherry coach alleges murder attempt

Akshita Patel

Coach alleges assault over SMAT selection [Source: @accordwarriors/IG]Coach alleges assault over SMAT selection [Source: @accordwarriors/IG]

Indian domestic cricket was rocked this week as a coach accused three players of trying to kill him after being left out of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) squad. What should have been a routine selection for an elite BCCI tournament has now spiralled into a crime story.

It has now raised serious questions about player behaviour, selection pressure, and the state of cricket administration in smaller associations.

Police probe ‘murder intent’ in assault on CAP coach

The incident took place in Pondicherry, where S Venkataraman, the U19 head coach of the Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP), was allegedly assaulted inside the indoor nets of the CAP complex. 

According to his police complaint, three senior local cricketers confronted him on Monday morning, abused him, and then launched a violent attack “with the intention of killing” him. 

Moreover, as reported by the Indian Express, Venkataraman suffered a deep head wound requiring 20 stitches and also fractured his shoulder. 

The police have registered an FIR, confirming that the accused players, Karthikeyan, Aravinddaraj, and Santhosh Kumaran, are currently absconding. Officers say they are actively searching for them.

In his statement, the coach made an even more disturbing claim that the assault was instigated by Bharathidasan Pondicherry Cricketers’ Forum Secretary, G. Chandran. 

Venkataraman alleged that the players told him they were instructed to kill him if they wanted a chance in the squad. 

Cricketers’ Forum rubbishes allegations

Meanwhile, the Cricketers’ Forum has strongly denied these allegations. Forum president Senthil Kumaran accused Venkataraman of fabricating the story and pointed to what he claims is the coach’s “documented history of misbehaviour” with local players. 

He suggested that long-standing disagreements between the coach and the Forum may have played a role in the complaint.

The BCCI has not issued a statement yet, but with social media ablaze and the story spreading fast, pressure is mounting.