Big names such as Chris Gayle Shakib Al Hasan and Thisara Perera were among those expected to feature in the competition. Reports say the organisers left Srinagar without paying hotel bills, player fees, or other expenses.
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib was linked with the tournament, appearing in a promotional video released on October 15, confirming his participation, though it remains unclear whether he actually played.
The tournament, which began on October 25 and was scheduled to conclude on November 8, abruptly collapsed over the weekend.
On Saturday, players were informed that the day’s match was cancelled due to “technical reasons.” The following morning, they discovered that the organisers had disappeared overnight.
According to hotel management, around 40 players and officials were stranded after the organisers vanished without settling any bills.
An official from the hotel told The Times of India, “We prepared 150 rooms about 10 days ago. They promised the tournament would boost tourism because of stars like Gayle but the next morning, they were gone.”
Melissa Juniper, an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) official, confirmed the incident, saying, “The organisers have fled. None of the payments for hotels, players, or umpires have been made.”
Local cricketer and former India player Parvez Rasool added that several foreign players were stuck in their hotels before the British High Commission assisted them in leaving safely.
The IHPL was organised by Yuva Society Mohali, with support from the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council, though the government was reportedly not directly involved.
Local authorities said despite reducing ticket prices, crowd attendance was disappointing, adding further troubles to the ill-fated event.
