IHPL scandal: Organisers flee, foreign stars including Chris Gayle stuck in hotel

Srinagar (The Uttam Hindu): The Indian Premier League (IHPL), which kicked off with much fanfare in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, has fallen victim to a major scandal. The league, which began on October 25th and was scheduled to run until November 8th, has been marred by a massive scandal. On the night of Sunday, November 2nd, its organizers abandoned everything and fled. As a result, several foreign players, including Chris Gayle, and umpires were stranded in hotels because the organizers hadn't paid the hotel bills or players' fees.

The league had a grand opening at Srinagar's historic Bakshi Stadium, but now the stadium lies deserted. It's reported that around 70 players and staff were trapped in a hotel after the organizers fled.

The league featured prominent names such as West Indies legend Chris Gayle, former New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder, and Sri Lankan Thisara Perera. The league was organized by the Yuva Society in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA). Former Indian cricketer Surinder Khanna was the league's patron.

"The organizers have fled the hotel. They haven't paid the hotel, the players, or the umpires. We've reached an agreement with the hotel so the players can go home," said Melissa Juniper, a foreign umpire stuck at the hotel.

Meanwhile, former Indian all-rounder and league player Parvez Rasool said that some players were even prevented from leaving their hotels. The situation escalated to the point where foreign embassies had to intervene. Rasool said that an English umpire had to contact the British Embassy.

A top local player in the league, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that the organisers had probably miscalculated the scale and cost of such a big event in Kashmir.

"We had a wonderful opportunity to share a dressing room with international cricketers, but it seems the sponsor pulled out at the last minute and ran out of money due to low attendance. The situation was so bad that the players didn't even have their uniforms on the first day, which were purchased locally. None of the players had signed contracts," he said.

A senior official at the Residency Hotel said the youth society had booked about 150 rooms for the players 10 days ago. They had promised a grand event with stars like Chris Gayle to promote Kashmiri tourism. "On Sunday morning, we learned they had disappeared without paying the dues," the official said. Some of the big players, including Chris Gayle, had already checked out on November 1st.

An official with the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council said that IHPL president Ashu Dani had requested police clearance and basic facilities, which were granted. "They paid our fees. The government had no direct role in organizing the league. We don't know why it was shut down midway," the official said.

Meanwhile, on this alleged scam, Jammu and Kashmir Sports Minister JK Satish Sharma has said that if the management has committed any such scam then we will deal with them strictly and if possible, he will personally visit the stadium.