Sudden Disappearance of Indian League Organizers Leaves Gayle, Perera in Trouble, Shakib Was Also Expected to Participate

The cricket grounds of Kashmir, known as the "Paradise on Earth," are now making headlines—not for the excitement of the game, but for a scandalous controversy. The tournament called the Indian Heavens Premier League (IHPL) has turned into a dramatic fiasco. Renowned international players like Chris Gayle, Thisara Perera, Richard Levi, and others have found themselves in deep trouble. After being accommodated in hotels, the organizers abruptly fled the city without settling outstanding bills.

The IHPL began on October 25 in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, with eight teams, and was scheduled to conclude on November 8. However, on Saturday morning, players were informed that the matches were canceled “due to technical reasons.” The next day, players and officials staying at the hotel learned that the organizers had left Srinagar the previous night.

Hotel authorities confirmed they had not received any payments from the organizers. Nearly 40 players and officials were left stranded at the hotel.

Melissa Juniper, an official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) who had traveled to umpire at the tournament, told The Times of India,
“The organizers fled the hotel without paying the hotel bills or dues to players and umpires. We reached an agreement with the hotel management to allow everyone to leave.”

A senior official at the Srinagar hotel where players were accommodated said,
“The organizers had requested 150 rooms for players 10 days prior. They claimed that having stars like Chris Gayle would benefit Kashmir’s tourism. But on Sunday morning, we found they had disappeared without paying our bills. Several players, including Gayle, left the hotel on Saturday.”

Besides Gayle, players such as Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera, New Zealand’s Jesse Ryder, South Africa’s Richard Levi, and Oman’s Aayan Khan had traveled to participate. Promotional posters on social media even featured a large photo of Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, and a video posted on the IHPL’s official Instagram page on October 15 showed him announcing his participation, though it remains unclear whether he actually played.

Former Indian cricketer Parvez Rasool, who had played in this league, said,
“Several foreign players were trapped in the hotel and were later assisted by the British High Commission to leave. An English umpire contacted the High Commission.”

A local cricketer suggested that the organizers possibly underestimated the budget required for such a tournament. Last-minute withdrawal of sponsors led to financial crises. “On the first day, even the designated uniforms were unavailable and had to be locally purchased. No written contracts were made with any players,” he added.

The tournament was organized by Yuva Society Mohali in collaboration with the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council. An official from the council stated,
“IHPL president Ashu Dani obtained police clearance and ground permissions. They paid us money. The government has no direct involvement. We do not know why the league was abruptly canceled.”

Government records show that on October 22, a preparatory meeting chaired by Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg anticipated 25,000 to 30,000 spectators at Bakshi Stadium. However, actual attendance was sparse despite reduced ticket prices.

Attempts to get comments from the Divisional Commissioner regarding the incident were unsuccessful, according to The Times of India.