IHPL T20 in crisis: Organizers go missing, 70 players stranded in Srinagar hotel over unpaid dues

November 2, 2025 by News Desk

Firdous Qadri

Chaos has erupted around the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) T20 after nearly 70 players, mostly from Jammu Kashmir, were left stranded in a Srinagar hotel when the organizers allegedly disappeared without clearing dues.

According to local players, they are currently lodged at the Radisson Collection Hotel in Srinagar, where the management has demanded immediate payment of pending bills. The league’s organizers, however, are reportedly untraceable, leaving players, hotel staff, and local vendors uncertain about their payments.

Police have reached the hotel to investigate the matter as tensions grow among the players, who claim they have not received a single rupee of their promised contracts.

The controversy came to light on November 1, when players boycotted matches at Bakshi Stadium over unpaid dues. Two games were cancelled that day, followed by another on November 2, deepening the crisis.

Sources said the players had been waiting for several days for their payments, but no transfers were made. With the organizers missing and no clarity on finances, the tournament has been thrown into disarray.

Most international and outstation players have already left Kashmir, while local cricketers, including former India pacer Praveen Kumar, remain at the hotel. Eyewitnesses say players have been waiting in the hotel lobby for updates, but there has been no official communication from the league’s management.

Adding to the confusion, former India cricketer Surinder Khanna, a member of the IHPL’s managing committee, is not currently in Srinagar. Insiders believe he may have distanced himself from the league after sensing financial irregularities.

Sources also said that several team owners and sponsors failed to clear their payments to the organizers, resulting in a severe cash crunch. One senior official of the league has reportedly rushed to Delhi in an attempt to arrange funds.

There are unconfirmed reports that the league may skip the remaining group-stage matches and move directly to the quarterfinals, though such a decision would require major financial intervention.

Former J&K Ranji cricketer Adil Reshi had earlier raised concerns about mismanagement, delayed payments, and poor treatment of players in the IHPL. His warnings were dismissed at the time, but the current situation appears to have validated his fears.

The IHPL T20 was promoted as a private cricket league aimed at boosting sports tourism and nurturing local talent in Jammu Kashmir. However, it has no official sanction from either the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), raising questions about its regulatory legitimacy.