Organizers reportedly fleeing overnight, leaving behind unpaid bills and players stranded in hotels.
The Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) in Jammu and Kashmir has fallen apart, with organizers reportedly fleeing overnight, leaving behind unpaid bills and players stranded in hotels.
Fromer international cricketers such as Chris Gayle, Jesse Ryder, and Thisara Perera headlined the collapsed cricketing event, which aimed to boost local cricket and tourism.
The tournament was organized by the Yuva Society, a non-profit focused on youth development, in collaboration with the J&K Cricket Association.
By Sunday (November 2), however, the Bakshi Stadium was empty, with around 40 players finding themselves in chaos.
“Organisers have fled from the hotel. They have not paid the hotel, the players, or the umpires. We’ve reached an agreement with the hotel so players can go home. It’s unfair to keep them here away from their families,” an English umpire Mellissa Juniper quoted as saying by TOI.
At The Residency Hotel, the Yuva Society had booked about 150 rooms for players. “They promised a grand event with stars like Chris Gayle to boost Kashmiri tourism,” a senior official said, as quoted by the newspaper.
“On Sunday morning, we found they had disappeared without clearing dues. Some players, including Gayle, had already checked out Saturday.”
Former India all-rounder Parvez Rasool, who featured in the league, said some players were momentarily stopped from leaving the hotel until the issue was taken to foreign embassies. “An English umpire had to contact the British embassy,” he said.
A top local player claimed that the organisers had miscalculated the scale and cost of running such an event in Kashmir.
“They gave us a rare chance to share dressing rooms with international cricketers,” he said. “But sponsors likely pulled out at the last moment, and with low turnout, they ran out of funds. On the first day, there were no uniforms. They bought them locally. No player contracts were signed.”
A J&K Sports Council official revealed that IHPL president Ashu Dani had sought and obtained police clearance and infrastructure support. “They paid our fee. Govt had no role in organising the league,” the official said. “We don’t know why it collapsed midway.”
IHPL, announced on September 18, was supposed to endorse grassroots cricket development, youth empowerment, and sports tourism in the area.
The league had listed 32 former international players. Gayle’s matches were the only ones that brought fans to the ground. Perera participated in just one game, while Richard Levi (South Africa) and Ayan Khan (Oman) also appeared.
The league had supposed to run from October 23 to November 7, featuring eight teams comprising local, national, and international players. However, reality proved harsher as turnout was dismal from the first day even after ticket prices were reduced considerably. Sponsors reportedly withdrew, and by the weekend, the tournament collapsed.