Kashmir League featuring Chris Gayle in turmoil after organisers vanish:Indian Heaven Premier League halted midway, players stranded over unpaid bills

A private cricket tournament fronted by West Indies great Chris Gayle in Jammu and Kashmir has hit a major roadblock, with organisers disappearing midway through the event and players left stranded over unpaid dues. The Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL), promoted in association with the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council, began on October 25 at Bakshi Stadium, Srinagar and was slated to conclude on November 8. However, the league was abruptly called off after management allegedly failed to pay players, umpires, and hotel bills. Participants reveal players were not allowed to leave hotel due to unpaid dues According to participants, including former India pacer Praveen Kumar and England and Wales Cricket Board coach Mel Juniper, players were not allowed to leave the Radisson Collection Hotel due to pending payments. “The league hasn’t paid players, umpires, staff or even the hotel. We were told to stay inside while organisers stopped answering calls,” Juniper told reporters from the hotel. “We can’t play till our dues are cleared.” Hotel management confirmed the outstanding bills. “The event was shut without any notice or clearance of payments. The losses are significant,” a senior Radisson official said. This league has nothing to do with Government: Sports Council IHPL was organised by a Mohali-based group, Yuva Society and promoted under the JK Sports Council’s banner. Council secretary Nuzhat Gul, who attended the opening ceremony alongside senior bureaucrats, has since distanced the government from the controversy. “Officially, this league has nothing to do with the Sports Council or the government. They had simply booked Bakshi Stadium for matches,” Gul said, adding that her presence at the launch “does not imply association.” No official statement from Gayle Gayle, who had been promoted as the marquee international face of the league, has not issued any statement so far. His participation was one of the main draws of the tournament, which featured eight teams and around 70 players. With organisers untraceable and bills unpaid, the future of the league and the players’ pending payments remains uncertain.