S Venkataraman, the head coach of the Cricket Association of Pondicherry's (CAP) U-19 team in India, has been reportedly attacked by three local players after they were left out of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy squad.

According to The Indian Express, the assault occurred on the morning of December 8 inside the CAP complex.

Venkataraman sustained a head injury and a shoulder fracture, requiring 20 stitches on his forehead, according to the report. Police have filed an FIR, while the three accused players are currently on the run. Sub-Inspector S. Rajesh of the Sedarapet police station confirmed that the coach is stable and that efforts are ongoing to locate the suspects.

In his complaint, Venkataraman alleged that Bharathidasan Pondicherry Cricketers' Forum Secretary G. Chandran had provoked the trio to attack him. He claimed that senior Pondicherry players Karthikeyan, Aravinddaraj, and Santhosh Kumaran confronted him at the indoor nets, blamed him for their omission from the SMAT squad, and then assaulted him with a bat "with the intention to kill."

However, Forum president Senthil Kumaran dismissed the allegations, saying Venkataraman has a record of misconduct and frequently mistreated local players. He suggested the coach's accusations stem from longstanding personal grievances, especially after the Forum repeatedly raised CAP-related issues with the BCCI over the past seven years.