Former India pacer Amit Bhandari assaulted at U-23 state trials

New Delhi, February 11

Former India pacer Amit Bhandari, who is chairman of the DDCA senior selection committee, was on Monday assaulted by a group of unidentified men during the Under-23 team’s trials at St Stephen’s ground.

Bhandari sustained head and ear injuries and was taken to Sant Paramanand Hospital at Civil Lines by his colleague Sukhvinder Singh. The goons fled the spot before the police could reach there.

Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rajat Sharma told PTI that the guilty would not be spared.

“We are trying to procure all details of the incident. As far as I have come to know, it is regarding one disgruntled player, who didn’t make it to the probables list for the National U-23 tournament.

“The SHO from the local police station has reached St Stephen’s ground and I have personally spoken to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik. The guilty will not go unpunished. I promise exemplary action against whoever is found involved. We will register an FIR,” Sharma said.

Delhi’s senior and U-23 team manager Shankar Saini narrated the incident.

“I was having my meal along with a colleague inside the tent and Bhandari, along with other selectors and senior team coach Mithun Manhas, was watching the probables play a trial match.

“A couple of men first came and went up to Bhandari. There were heated exchanges between Bhandari and the two men. They left and before we could gather our thoughts, suddenly some 15 men armed with hockey sticks, rods and cycle chains came charging,” Saini said.

“When the other boys attending the trials along with us rushed to save Bhandari, they started threatening us and one of them said, ‘Don’t get into this or else we will shoot you.’

“They hit Bhandari with hockey sticks and rods and he sustained a head injury,” the former Delhi seamer added.

When asked who could be behind the attack, Saini said, “I was not there when these two guys came and spoke with Bhandari. He is obviously rattled and once he gives his statement to the police, we will get to know more.”

Delhi cricket has always been mired in corruption charges and allegations of dubious selections at various age-group levels have surfaced time and again. PTI