NEW DELHI: The Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL), a dazzling T20 cricket event designed to bring international cricket flair to Jammu and Kashmir, imploded suddenly. Organizers are alleged to have fled Srinagar under the cover of night, leaving behind a mountain of unpaid bills, disoriented players, and bewildered hotel staff.
The star-studded lineup included former West Indies powerhouse Chris Gayle, New Zealand’s Jesse Ryder, and Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera. The Yuva Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to youth development, had orchestrated the tournament in collaboration with the J&K Cricket Association.
By Sunday, the Bakshi Stadium, once buzzing with anticipation, lay desolate. Approximately 40 players found themselves stranded in hotels, unpaid and utterly perplexed by the sudden turn of events.
Mellissa Juniper, an English umpire involved in the league, voiced her frustration: “Organizers 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 official at The Residency Hotel, which hosted the majority of participants, confirmed that the Yuva Society had booked about 150 rooms ten days prior. “They promised a grand event with stars like Chris Gayle to boost Kashmiri tourism,” the official stated. “On Sunday morning, we discovered they had disappeared without settling their dues. Some players, including Gayle, had already checked out on Saturday.”
Former India all-rounder Parvez Rasool, who participated in the league, recounted how some players were briefly prevented from leaving their hotels until foreign embassies intervened. “An English umpire had to contact the British embassy,” he noted.
A prominent local player suggested that the organizers might have underestimated the immense scale and cost of hosting such a tournament in Kashmir. “They offered us a rare opportunity to share dressing rooms with international cricketers,” he said. “However, it seems sponsors likely withdrew at the last minute, and with disappointing turnout, they simply ran out of funds. On the very first day, there were no uniforms, which they ended up buying locally. No player contracts were officially signed.”
Despite the collapse, a J&K Sports Council official clarified that IHPL president Ashu Dani had obtained all necessary police clearance and infrastructure support. “They paid our fee. The government had no direct role in organizing the league,” the official explained. “We don’t know why it collapsed midway.”
However, a government press release from October 22 suggested official involvement in the preparations. Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg had reportedly chaired a meeting “to take first-hand appraisal of IHPL readiness,” anticipating a turnout of 25,000–30,000 spectators at Bakshi Stadium.
Initially announced on September 18, the league aimed to foster grassroots cricket development, empower youth, and promote sports tourism in the region. IHPL mentor and former India cricketer Surinder Khanna had hailed it as “a golden opportunity for Kashmir’s youth,” pledging to “find the next Umran Malik or Parvez Rasool.”
The league boasted a roster of 32 former international players. Interestingly, only Gayle’s matches managed to attract significant crowds. Perera, for instance, only played in a single game, while Richard Levi (South Africa) and Ayan Khan (Oman) also made appearances. The tournament was slated to run from October 23 to November 7, featuring eight teams composed of local, national, and international talents. Yet, reality proved far more challenging. From day one, spectator turnout was dishearteningly low, even after ticket prices were drastically reduced. Sponsors allegedly pulled out, and by the weekend, what began as a promising cricket dream had dissolved into the Srinagar night, taking its organizers with it.