Former India speedster and Delhi captain Amit Bhandari, currently chairman of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) senior selection committee, was rushed to a hospital on Monday after being attacked by a group of unidentified persons led by Under-23 cricketer Anuj Dheda.
Bhandari, who sustained head and ear injuries, was rushed to Sant Paramanand Hospital at nearby Civil Lines by his colleague Sukhvinder Singh. He has been declared out of danger but has got four stitches on his head.
The incident took place around 1.15 pm at St. Stephens College ground here on Monday when 33 players were called in to take part in a Twenty20 trial match to select Delhi team for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament.
According to eye witnesses, about eight people barged into the ground and attacked Bhandari, also U-23 chief selector, using hockey sticks, iron rods and cricket bats.
Delhi Police have detained one person on the spot and has formed a team to nab those on the run.
"I've given my statement to the police. I've given them the reason of selection and the names (of attackers) as well," Bhandari later told the media.
Nupur Prasad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) said "a case has been registered and the accused and his brother Naresh were arrested."
Dheda, a medium-pacer, was part of 56 probables short-listed for U-23 shorter format matches. During the trial games, he apparently performed well and got some of the top batsmen out. But, it is alleged that there was apparently a huge pressure on him to join Bhandari's own academy, recently named after Sehwag at the Khalsa School, Lajpat Nagar.
Bhandari is not the only one to be running a cricket academy in Delhi. Most of the Delhi selectors have been running parallel academies in the National Capital Region (NCR) under the aegis of Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) despite Justice Lodha report being implemented by the state unit and BCCI following Supreme Court orders in 2016.
Bhandari's colleague in U-23 selection committee, Sukhvinder Singh, also has a cricket academy at Cambridge Foundation, Rajouri Garden, named after his immediate family member.
In Delhi cricket, it is a common practice for a player to enrol in one of the academies that belongs to these selectors just to be in the good books and be in contention for selection.
Interestingly, Sehwag had to step down from DDCA cricket committee following allegations of conflict of interest. But Bhandari or any other selector in various DDCA selection panels were allowed to have a free run by the new DDCA president and media baron Rajat Sharma.
Sharma, on his part, rushed to the hospital where Bhandari was admitted on Monday and issued a strong statement: "DDCA will ensure strictest possible action against those involved in the cowardly attack".
An insider in the DDCA told DNA that Dheda was also allegedly given false promises by selectors during the course of longer format matches earlier. And every time, he was pressurised to join a particular academy.
"A sum anywhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 per day is being charged from kids in the name of personalised coaching. This is no hidden fact in Delhi cricket and this big money is in a way a ticket to state cricket teams," a former Delhi chief selector, while condemning the attack, said.
