Indian Heaven Premier League controversy: non-payments, organisational failure & sports governance in J&K
By: Javid Amin | 02 November 2025
The launch of the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) in the scenic valley of Jammu & Kashmir was meant to be a bold statement — integrating regional cricket talent, international stars and sports tourism under one banner. But what promised to be a celebration of cricket has turned into a cautionary tale of mis-management, broken promises and lost credibility.
In this detailed article, we examine the contours of the controversy: the unfolding of events, the ground reports from Srinagar, the impact on players and staff, the organisational structure, the response from authorities, and the wider implications for private sporting ventures in India. We will explore each section in depth, cross-check available facts, and provide a clear narrative of how the IHPL drifted from ambition to crisis.
The Ambition: Launching a Private T20 in the Valley
01. Setting the scene
The valley of Jammu & Kashmir has long sought to position itself as more than just a conflict zone or tourist destination. Sports, particularly cricket, have been viewed as a tool for development, youth empowerment and regional outreach. Against this backdrop, the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) was announced with fanfare.
According to publicly available sources, the IHPL planned to feature eight franchises, a mix of local players from the region and out-station or international players, operating in a Twenty20 format. It was to be held at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar. The organisers claimed the aim was to boost sports tourism, provide a platform to local talent, and bring global cricketing names to Kashmir.
02. Organisers and collaborators
The primary organising body was reported to be Yuva Society Mohali, a youth-development non-profit based in Mohali, Punjab. They were credited with logistics, team coordination and “international outreach”. The collaborator machineries included the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council (JKSportsCouncil) which reportedly provided regional support (though later disavowed deeper responsibility). The local cricket body, Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) was mentioned in some places as having facilitated player engagement, though its formal role appears nebulous.
Key individuals named in media reports included Munish Soni (listed as overseas director and team owner) and former Indian cricketer Surinder Khanna (associated with Yuva Society). The league’s website claimed 32 international players, though actual arrivals seem to have been far fewer.
03. The idea of sports tourism & regional uplift
In promotional materials, IHPL was pitched as more than a cricket tournament. It was meant to showcase Kashmir’s sporting potential, attract visitors, provide employment for local support staff (hotels, catering, transport), and offer local cricketers a stage to perform alongside high-profile names. The statements emphasised “Valley of Cricket, Spirit of India”.
Thus, the ambition was high, the framework promising, and the expectations strong — especially for a region that has often believed in leveraging sport for social change.
The Reality: What Went Wrong
01. Non-payment and cancelled matches
The major fault line emerged when players, umpires and support staff began reporting non-payment of dues. According to Kashmir Life, the league was “thrown into complete disarray” after several players refused to play ahead of scheduled matches because promised payments had not come through. Matches at the Bakshi Stadium were cancelled after players declined to take the field.
From KNS: “Hotels haven’t been paid. Staff haven’t been paid. The league instructed the hotel to lock all doors …” said umpire Mel Juniper.
The cancellation of on-field activity underlines how operational breakdown preceded or followed the financial mis-management — the physical manifestation of a deeper structural failure.
02. Hotel lockdown and stranded players
One of the more dramatic incidents: the hotel where players and staff were lodged reportedly locked its doors, under pressure from unpaid vendors and service providers, to prevent departure until dues were cleared. Kashmir Life reported the hotel bill reportedly exceeded Rs 80 lakh (approx) and the organising body had booked rooms until early November but failed to pay anything. A senior official told media that the management had ordered the hotel to “lock all doors and keep everyone inside until payments are made”.
Players were left in limbo, unable to leave the hotel, uncertain about the status of their contracts, peers, transport and payments. The perception of being trapped in a “glitzy event gone wrong” aggravated the reputational damage.
03. Organisers vanish, communication breaks down
Media reports indicate that the event’s management group became unresponsive. One player said calls to organisers went unanswered; the phone of one of the organisers was found switched off. A key trouble: the organisers reportedly left Srinagar overnight, leaving behind unpaid bills and stranded players. Loss of leadership and absence of governance turned a financial dispute into a full-scale organisational collapse.
04. The mismatch between promise and delivery
Promotional claims of international stars and 32 overseas players were not fully realised. KLC (Kashmir Life) reports only a handful arrived: former West Indies great Chris Gayle played three matches before departing; Sri Lankan star Thisara Perera featured in one match. The rest of the teams were largely domestic players, local talent. This gap between marketing and actual roster further eroded trust.
05. Official bodies distancing themselves
The J&K Sports Council issued a clarification stating that the IHPL was a private event, and the council only provided the venue (Bakshi Stadium) on rent; the rest of the responsibilities rested with the organisers. This renunciation of deeper involvement (or liability) shows the regulatory grey-zone that private leagues can operate in.
Impact: Who Suffered, and What It Reveals
01. Players & umpires: the human cost
For many local cricketers, this was a rare chance to play in a high-profile league, perhaps alongside international stars, get visibility, improve earnings and experience. Instead, they were confronted with disappointment, uncertainty and financial loss. One local player, former Ranji cricketer Adil Reshi, admitted withdrawing from the league three days earlier citing “no official contract, no structure, it was completely mis-managed.”
Umpires and match officials also reported they were unpaid. KNS quoted Mel Juniper: “no one has made the rest of the payment” and “league has had to finish early.” The sense of vulnerability and exploitation of support staff is a clear and troubling theme.
02. Vendors, hotels, support staff: ripple effects
Beyond the players, the fallout extended to the hotel management, catering staff, transport providers, LED-board suppliers and other local vendors. One vendor reported “Rs 30 lakh is stuck with them,” referring to unpaid dues. The hotel lodged in Rajbagh, Srinagar, claimed the organisers had booked rooms until 9 November but had not paid a single rupee. The incident should serve as a caution for service-industry partners engaged in such sporting events.
03. Regional credibility and the local cricket ecosystem
For Jammu & Kashmir, a region aspiring to develop sports infrastructure and credibility, the IHPL collapse is a blow. Instead of a showcase of regional talent and tourism, the league’s failure might deter future investors, players and partners. As one local cricketer put it:
“We built this cricket culture from scratch, and we will protect it. The fans stayed away from this so-called league – the empty stands said it all.”
The empty stands, the broken promises, the stranded talents: all amount to reputational damage for both the league’s organisers and the region’s sports image.
04. Questions of governance and oversight
The collapse also raises larger questions about how private sporting leagues are regulated in India, especially outside the established frameworks of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The lack of formal oversight, transparency of contracts, credible escrow of payments and accountability of organisers becomes painfully evident.
The Organisational Breakdown: Where Governance Failed
01. Lack of transparent contracts and player security
Multiple reports highlight that local players were participating without clear written contracts. The absence of such formal agreements meant that when payments were delayed or cancelled, players had no recourse. Adil Reshi’s comment underscores this: no structure, no contract. Written contracts, escrow accounts, payment guarantees — all standard in professional leagues — seemingly absent here.
02. Financial planning and escrow: missing safeguards
A functioning sports league requires not only promotion and team formation, but also behind-the-scenes financial management: securing funds, paying vendors, clearing accommodation, travel and match fees, and providing contingency for delays. In IHPL’s case, the fact that hotel bills exceeded Rs 80 lakh and remained unpaid suggests that either funds were never secured or mis-managed. Also, the directive from one vendor about Rs 30 lakh stuck points to broader systemic failure.
An escrow or trust mechanism — where player payments and vendor bills are secured before the event begins — might have prevented this collapse.
03. Venue hiring vs active support
While the J&K Sports Council says it merely rented the venue, the incident highlights the gap between logistical support (venue supply) and proactive oversight (ensuring the event’s financial health). Renting a stadium is one thing; verifying the league’s credentials, contracts, local arrangements, vendor payments is another. The absence of that deeper involvement meant the region had little control when things went wrong.
04. Communication breakdown and leadership vacuum
Organising a high-profile T20 league in a sensitive region like Kashmir requires robust leadership, clear communication with players, media, vendors, authorities. Reports show that players were told not to report because of “technical issues”, phone calls to organisers went unanswered, and management allegedly disappeared overnight. Once communication breaks down, panic sets in — and the entire operation unravels.
05. Marketing vs reality: over-promise, under-deliver
By inviting international stars, promising huge participation (32 overseas players), marketing “franchise” style teams, the IHPL built a big image. But the actual execution fell far short. The gap between what was promised and what happened undermines trust. For stakeholders — players, vendors, audiences — this discrepancy matters. Credibility, once lost, is hard to rebuild.
Ground Reports: Voices from Srinagar
Let’s look at specific excerpts from ground-reporting to capture what it felt like on the ground.
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A Kashmir-based cricketer said: “My match was scheduled for today … my manager told me not to come to the stadium as there were some technical problems.”
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One hotel official: “The organisers had booked the rooms until November 9, but they didn’t pay a penny. We had to lock the rooms this morning.”
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Umpire Mel Juniper: “The league has had to finish early. … Hotels haven’t been paid. Staff haven’t been paid. The league instructed the hotel to lock all doors and keep everyone inside until payments are made.”
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Vendor: “Our Rs 30 lakh is stuck with them. Many others are in the same position — this was a trap.”
These voices reveal not just financial loss but emotional and logistical strain: players stuck away from home, hotels unwilling to release rooms, staff unsure of salaries, vendors unpaid — all happening in a place with limited secondary options.
Organiser Response & Current Status
01. What the organisers have said
Media coverage suggests the organisers eventually “assured payments”, which allowed some local players to exit the hotel. However, the nature of those assurances, whether contracts were honoured, and timelines remain vague.
No credible public statement outlining full settlement or payment timelines has been widely reported. In fact, the management is reported to have gone silent.
02. Who is accountable?
The complexity of responsibility is central here. The league was private. The J&K Sports Council provided the venue but denied deeper involvement. Vendors, hotel management and players all contracted (directly or indirectly) with the league’s organising body. When things went wrong, no overarching body seems to have stepped in to enforce accountability.
From KNS: “The league has had to finish early. This has been down to no fault of the players or the hotel management or any of the staff. It’s all been down to the league.”
03. The league’s future: uncertain and damaged
Originally, IHPL’s final was scheduled for 8 November 2025. With the collapse of the league’s operations midway, that date now appears highly unlikely. The tournament’s credibility is in tatters. Whether the league will resume, refund players/vendors, or reorganise itself remains unclear.
From the Times of India: “J&K T20 organisers vanish overnight, players left stranded; Chris Gayle among stars caught in IHPL fiasco.” And from the Economic Times: “Players and umpires unpaid… management ghosted…”
Bigger Picture: What This Means for Private Sports Events
01. The rise of private leagues and franchise models
Across India and globally, the franchise model in sport (particularly T20 cricket) has exploded. From the Indian Premier League (IPL) to more regional leagues, private capital, star players and media deals drive growth. But with scale comes risk: over-hyped marketing, under-capitalisation, weak governance.
IHPL is a vivid example of what happens when the structure is incomplete: you may get star names and slick promotion, but without financial safeguards, contracts and transparent governance, the model can collapse.
02. The need for regulatory frameworks
The IHPL preference for being a “private event” allowed it to bypass deeper oversight. But when things go wrong, there’s a vacuum: players have limited recourse, authorities may disavow direct responsibility, vendors may be left unpaid, local sports culture may suffer.
There is therefore a compelling case for regulatory frameworks in states like J&K (and elsewhere) for such private sports ventures. Such frameworks should include:
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Mandatory registration of private leagues
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Verification of financial plans/funds before the league begins
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Escrow of player and vendor payments
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Written contracts with clear deliverables and dispute resolution mechanisms
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Regular auditing and public disclosure of payments
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Venue hire oversight (making sure third parties aren’t held liable for flux)
03. Protecting player welfare and rights
For local talent especially, tournaments like IHPL can represent a major opportunity. But they can also pose major risks if organisers do not operate ethically. Ensuring player contracts are transparent, payment is secured, accommodation/transport is confirmed, and fallback mechanisms exist is vital.
IHPL’s players were denied even the basic security of pay and stable accommodation, underscoring how talent can be exploited in badly-structured leagues.
04. Impact on regional sports culture
For Jammu & Kashmir, the fallout is multi-layered. On one hand, the state has an urgent need to promote sport as a vehicle for youth empowerment, social inclusion and regional branding. On the other, events that collapse can harm both public trust and investor confidence. The “empty stands” mentioned by one local cricketer are emblematic of the skepticism born from this failure.
Moreover, the hotels and service staff who depend on such events are now wary of similar propositions — thereby potentially limiting future partnerships.
Lessons Learnt: How to Avoid the Next Disaster
Drawing on the IHPL case, we can highlight key lessons for organisers, regional sports bodies, players and service vendors.
01. For organisers
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Secure finances before commencing: Don’t announce big names or teams until funding, payment lines, vendor contracts are locked.
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Use transparent contracts: Players, umpires, vendors must have written agreements, payment schedules, and cancellation policies.
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Establish escrow/guarantee: Use a third-party escrow to hold fees and payments; ensure vendors and players are secure.
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Maintain communication: When problems emerge, address them openly rather than evading calls.
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Realistic marketing: Avoid over-promising. One fewer star player is better than failing to honour the ones you talk about.
02. For regional sports councils and authorities
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Due diligence: Before approving private leagues, check organiser credentials, financial track record and local stakeholder engagement.
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Regulate vendor contracts: Ensure hotels, transport and catering are assured payment or backed by guarantees.
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Monitoring and intervention ability: Provide mechanisms for players and vendors to complain, and intervene when things go wrong.
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Support local talent: Insist that a portion of players are local, and that the league infrastructure benefits the region beyond just the tournament days.
03. For players and vendors
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Check contracts carefully: Don’t assume verbal assurances suffice — get written terms.
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Ask about payment security: Who is funding the league? Is money already in place?
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Maintain documentation: Keep boarding passes, hotel stay records, match schedules and communications.
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Be cautious of “too good to be true” offers: Big promises equal bigger risks if not backed by robust structure.
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Know your rights: Seek local legal advice if payment is delayed; align with associations or unions if available.
What Happens Next? Outlook & Future Possibilities
01. Will IHPL resume or fold?
As of this writing, the IHPL remains suspended and in disarray. Matches are cancelled, players and vendors unpaid, and organisers unreachable. Whether the event will restart is uncertain. Media reports suggest its credibility is severely damaged.
If the league wants to survive, it would likely need to restructure: bring in new funding, renegotiate vendor and player contracts, publish audited statements, and restore trust. Without that, the league risks folding and being remembered as a “one-off failure”.
02. Legal and regulatory follow-up
Given the scale of unpaid dues (hotel-bill figures in lakhs, player payments outstanding) and the disruption caused, law-enforcement agencies may step in and investigations may follow. The region must anticipate such scrutiny. Policymakers might also revisit how private sports events are sanctioned.
03. Impact on regional sports strategy
For Jammu & Kashmir, this episode may act as a wake-up call. The region still holds tremendous potential for sports tourism, regional talent development and national/international sports events. But the IHPL failure demonstrates that ambition alone is insufficient: structure, governance, accountability matter.
It may encourage the state to develop clearer frameworks for sports event accreditation, funding guarantees, talent pipelines and vendor payment safeguards. Alternatively, it might also lead to increased caution among sponsors and service providers, which could slow down future events unless confidence is rebuilt.
04. Opportunities for learning and reform
While the collapse is disappointing, it can serve as a case study. Sports academics, administrators, policy-makers can examine what went wrong, codify best practices, and implement reforms that benefit not just cricket, but all private sports events in India and similar markets.
Bottom-Line: A Promise Unfulfilled — But Not Without Value
The story of the Indian Heaven Premier League is one of promise, passion and disappointment. It began with the excitement of bringing international-style T20 cricket to the Kashmir Valley, of uplifting local talent and showcasing the region. But it ended (for now) as a cautionary tale of non-payment, mis-management and regulatory gaps.
The fallout is not trivial: players left stranded, vendors unpaid, local hopes dented, and credibility lost. Yet, embedded in this failure is a lesson: in the modern world of sport, glamour without governance is brittle; ambition without accountability is risky.
For the region of Jammu & Kashmir, and for the broader Indian sports ecosystem, the IHPL controversy provides a valuable blueprint of what to avoid — and how to ensure that the next tournament, the next venture, is rooted in professionalism, transparency and sustainability.
If sports are to truly drive development, social uplift and regional pride, they must be built on solid foundations: clear contracts, secured funds, stakeholder trust and responsible leadership.
⚠️ Disclaimer
The information, names, and details mentioned in this article have been compiled from publicly available news reports, official statements, and credible online sources including The Times of India, The Economic Times, Kashmir Life, and KNS Kashmir.
All facts and references are presented solely for informational and journalistic purposes. The article does not make any direct allegations against any individual or organization but reflects details as reported by multiple verified media outlets at the time of writing.
Any errors or discrepancies are unintentional and subject to correction upon verification. Readers are advised to refer to official investigations or statements for the latest updates regarding the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) case.
