Srinagar, Nov 2(KNB): The chaos surrounding the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) T20 has intensified, with nearly 70 players — mostly from Jammu and Kashmir — stranded inside a luxury hotel in Srinagar after the league’s organizers allegedly went missing without clearing dues.
According to sources, the stranded players are currently staying at the Radisson Collection Hotel, where management has reportedly demanded immediate payment of outstanding bills. Meanwhile, organizers of the privately-run cricket league have allegedly disappeared, leaving players, hotel staff, and vendors in limbo.
Police have reached the hotel and begun investigating the situation, as tensions rise among players who claim they have not received a single rupee of their promised contracts.
The controversy first came to light when players refused to take the field on November 1, citing non-payment of contractual dues. Two matches scheduled that day at Bakshi Stadium were cancelled, followed by another fixture on November 2.
Sources told KNB that several players had been waiting for days for payments promised by the organizers, but no transfers were made. With no clarity on the league’s finances, the situation quickly spiraled out of control.
Most international and outstation players have already left Srinagar, while local cricketers and former India pacer Praveen Kumar remain in the hotel. Players have been seen spending hours in the hotel lobby as they await word from the missing officials.
Adding to the confusion, former India cricketer Surinder Khanna, a member of the IHPL’s managing committee, is reportedly not in Srinagar. Insiders suggest Khanna may have anticipated the financial trouble early and distanced himself from the league’s management.
Sources also reveal that several team owners and sponsors have not cleared their payments to the organizers, resulting in a severe cash crunch. One of the senior managing officials is said to have rushed to Delhi in a last-ditch effort to arrange funds.
There are also reports that the league might skip the remaining group-stage matches altogether and move directly to the quarterfinals — though such a move would require significant financial intervention.
Former J&K Ranji cricketer Adil Reshi had earlier sounded the alarm about irregularities in the IHPL, alleging mismanagement, non-payment, and poor treatment of players. His concerns were dismissed by the organizers at the time — but the current crisis appears to have proven those warnings accurate.
The IHPL T20 was marketed as a private tournament aimed at promoting sports tourism and nurturing cricket talent in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the league has been neither sanctioned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) nor by the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), raising questions about its regulatory legitimacy.
Cricket observers say the situation exposes the lack of financial transparency and accountability in privately-run leagues across India, many of which operate without official sanction or oversight.
In recent years, several similar ventures have emerged promising lucrative contracts and exposure for players, only to collapse due to poor financial planning and unverified funding sources.(KNB)
