Srinagar's Indian Heaven Premier League, featuring Chris Gayle among other icons, crashes as organisers flee

File photo of Chris Gayle (Image Source: GT20Canada)

A T20 cricket competition in Jammu and Kashmir called the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) failed over the weekend after the organizers allegedly vanished without paying the lodging expenses. Along with some domestic cricket players, the competition included players like Chris Gayle, Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder and Thisara Perera.

However, the matches did not proceed as scheduled on Sunday, and some forty cricket players were left stranded at a hotel in Srinagar without clarity or payment.

“Organisers have fled from the hotel,” Mellissa Juniper, an English umpire, was quoted as saying in a report by Hindustan Times. “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.”

Chris Gayle in action at srinagar pic.twitter.com/jjBfFIxqgF

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The tournament was positioned as a major event for Jammu and Kashmir, according to the personnel at The Residency Hotel, and the organisers reserved around 150 rooms for ten days.

“They promised a grand event with stars like Chris Gayle to boost Kashmiri tourism,” the official was quoted as saying in a report by Times Of India. “On Sunday morning, we found they had disappeared without clearing dues."

Gayle was among the players who had already left the hotel on Saturday after noticing some problems with the event organizers. Parvez Rasool, a former cricketer for India, disclosed that some players even had travel delays. “An English umpire had to contact the British embassy,” he said.

There was a lot of excitement in Jammu and Kashmir when the competition was announced on September 18. Surinder Khanna, the team mentor, continued by describing it as a "golden opportunity for Kashmir's youth" and pledging to "find the next Umran Malik or Parvez Rasool."

Big celebrities like Gayle did draw a small crowd at first, but attendance quickly declined, which resulted in lower ticket costs, problems with sponsors, and other issues.