Indian Heaven Premier League Scam: Gayle, Other Stars Stranded In Srinagar Hotel Amid Unpaid Dues - Report

Built up as a big event to tap fresh cricket talent from Kashmir, the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) has imploded as the organisers have fled, leaving many former international stars like Chris Gayle stranded in a Srinagar hotel due to non-payment of bills.

The IHPL, which started amid a lot of fanfare in Srinagar in the last week of October, was organised by the Mohali-based Yuva Society. Billboards featuring former cricketers like Gayle, Devon Smith, Jesse Ryder and Shakib-al-Hasan sprang up at many places across the city, announcing that these franchise cricket stars will play alongside the local players in the league, which was slated to conclude on November 8.

Most of the matches were played at Bakshi Stadium, with music blaring from loudspeakers during the intervals. But the league ended abruptly on November 1 as the players refused to turn up for matches due to unpaid dues. The organisers vanished, forcing the hotel where the players were put up, to stop them from leaving till their dues were cleared.

According to a PTI report, the story came to the fore when Mellisa Juniper, an Englishwoman who was an umpire at the event, said they had not been paid.

"We have not received any payment," Juniper was quoted as saying in the report, adding that she was informed by the hotel staff about the "missing organisers".

Gayle was among many players who had featured in the Legends' League cricket tournament in 2024 in Kashmir. The event, which was a private one just like the IHPL this year, had attracted big crowds to the stadiums as locals got to see international players in action for the first time in almost 40 years.

Lack Of Crowds Despite Star Power

However, the IHPL did not draw similar crowds despite the presence of Gayle and other international stars. The organisers offered massive discounts on tickets and used the services of a local social media influencer, Umar Zargar, in an attempt to boost ticket sales but in vain, the report added.

Questions are being asked as to how the organisers Yuva Society, with no prior experience in holding leagues of such magnitude, were allowed to use Bakshi Stadium to host the matches.

The Yuva Society, while announcing the IHPL on its website, used photographs of former cricketers Surendra Khanna and Ashu Dani without mentioning roles, if any, the duo played in the organisation.

(With PTI inputs)