It was billed as a major sporting milestone in Kashmir, where local cricketers could rub their shoulders with international and national stars like Chris Gayle, Jesse Ryder and Praveen Kumar. However, just overnight, the much-touted Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) turned into hell for the players and umpires after its organisers allegedly fled midway through the tournament, leaving behind a trail of confusion, unpaid hotel bills running into lakhs, and a political fiasco.

So much so that players like Gayle and foreign umpires were held hostage by staff at the hotel where they were staying over non-payment of bills. They were only allowed to go after the government intervened. Kashmir's biggest sporting scandal had started to unravel.

Kashmir's cricket scandal: Indian Heaven Premi

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