Ex-India Cricketer of India, Amit Bhandari the DDCA (Delhi and Districts Cricket Association) senior selection committee was assaulted by a group of men on Monday. The group was led by an angry under 23 player after he was not selected in the team. The player who has been identified as Anuj Dheda was not selected in the team and decided to attack Amit Bhandari who attained injuries and was rushed at a hospital in the Civil Lines, he was rushed by his Sukhvinder Singh. The players and the group who attacked the ex-cricketer ran away before the cops reached the St. Stephen Ground.

The senior team is getting ready for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy that will be starting this month on February 21.

Deputy Commissioner Napur Prasad said: “At around 1.15 pm today at St Stephen ground where trials were going on, one person Anuj Dheda, who was not selected, came and asked about his rejection and slapped Bhandari. Some 10-15 more boys came and hit him.”

The DCP added: “Based on the complaint, a case has been registered and the accused and his brother Naresh were arrested.”

The name of Anuj Dheda was included in the initial list that had 79 players, this was released by the DDCA back in November when the trials for the U-23 were going on, the date of birth of Anuj is on November 22, 1995.

Rajat Sharma the DDCA president said: “I have personally spoken to the Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik. The guilty will not go unpunished. We will register an FIR.”

After Rajat Sharma went to meet the ex-cricketer and said: “He is very shaken and it is natural. The doctors have advised that he should be kept under observation for 24 hours as a precautionary measure.”

Rajat Sharma said: “The goons were pressurising him to select a player, who had failed to get into the U-23 team on merit. Bhandari claimed that one man also threatened him with a revolver.
This is shameful that an honest selector was being prevented from performing his duties. I have been told that one person has been detained for questioning.”

Cricketers have also expressed their emotions through tweets

The attack on Delhi selector Amit Bhandari for not picking a player is a new low and I am hopeful that stringent action will be taken against the culprit and adequate measures will be taken to avoid such incidents.

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 11, 2019

Disgusted to see this happen right in the heart of the Capital. This can’t slip under the carpet and I will personally ensure it doesn’t. To begin with I am calling for a life ban from all cricket for the player who orchestrated this attack post his non-selection. https://t.co/RpS6fzTcNl

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) February 11, 2019

I can't believe this has happened to @Amitbhandari110 bhaiya. It is sad, shocking and cowardly. This needs urgent investigation and the strictest action should be taken against the culprits.

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) February 11, 2019

Shankar Saini the team manager of the senior team of Delhi said: “To begin with I am calling for a life ban for the player who orchestrated this attack post his non-selection.”

Shankar Saini narrated the incident and said: “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 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy probables play a trial game. A couple of men first came and went up to Bhandari. There was a heated exchange 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, When the other senior team players 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 attacked Bhandari with hockey sticks and rods as he tried to run away and he sustained head injury.”

One eye witness said that Dedha and his friends chased down ex-cricketer Bhandari in front of the senior players, he was also seen running for is life.

When Shankar Saini was asked about the attack, he 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.”