Bakshi Stadium meant for football turns into cricket venue for ‘heist league’ J&K Sports Council distances from IHPL – Kashmir Indepth

Bakshi Stadium meant for football turns into cricket venue for ‘heist league’
J&K Sports Council distances from IHPL
Arshid Farooq
Srinagar, Nov 03 (KINS): Once envisioned as the crown jewel of football infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar is now witnessing a shift in purpose — from football to cricket — sparking criticism from sports enthusiasts.
Renovation of the historic stadium began in 2016 and was completed in 2022 at a cost of over Rs 50 crore. The upgraded facility was inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on August 5, 2022, and dedicated to the youth of J&K with the promise that it would host major football tournaments. However, since last year, the stadium has been used for cricket events instead.
In 2024, the venue hosted the Legends Cricket League, and this year, several matches of the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) featuring international cricketers such as Chris Gayle.
The move has disappointed the football community, which feels that the J&K Sports Council has sidelined football despite earlier assurances. “Bakshi Stadium has a glorious history of hosting top football tournaments. After renovation, not a single major football event has been played there — reasons best known to the Sports Council,” said a former J&K football player.
Football enthusiast Faizan Ahmad said the sport has gone backwards in Kashmir. “Kashmir has produced some top footballers, but we don’t get the required infrastructure here. Now see Bakshi Stadium — it has turned into a cricket venue. Who will fix the responsibility for allowing the ground to organisers of IHPL, who have disappeared and not paid money to our cricketers, labourers, and hotels?” he said.
The Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) 2025, which began amid much fanfare, has been suspended following serious allegations of financial irregularities, mismanagement, and lack of recognition from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Authorities of the J&K Sports Council have since distanced themselves from the league, though questions remain over why due diligence was not done to verify the organisers’ credentials and whether they had obtained approval from the BCCI or JKCA.
The tournament commenced on October 25, with the final initially scheduled for November 8. Eight teams participated, aiming to provide a platform for local players to gain exposure alongside national and international stars.
The matches were held at the government-owned Bakshi Stadium and featured prominent overseas cricketers including Martin Guptill, Thisara Perera, Gurkirat Singh Mann, Iqbal Abdullah, Saurabh Tiwary, Chris Gayle, Priyank Panchal, Richard Levi, Rishi Dhawan, Faiz Fazal, Imran Tahir, and Peter Trego, among others.
On the inaugural day, Secretary J&K Sports Council Nuzhat Gul praised the organisers. “In IHPL, there is a format where international, national, and local players are playing. Big names like Chris Gayle are participating. The intention of such leagues is the positive and perpetual engagement of youth towards sports,” she said on October 25.
However, after only a few matches, the league was officially suspended due to mounting concerns over poor management, financial discrepancies, and lack of BCCI recognition. Organisers reportedly failed to meet several regulatory and administrative requirements, prompting backlash from players, sponsors, and stakeholders.
Tensions escalated when players refused to take the field on November 1, protesting against non-payment of dues and overall mismanagement. The grand promises made by the organisers during the launch soon collapsed, with the league struggling for credibility, logistics, and transparency.
According to sources, nearly 70 players — mostly from Jammu and Kashmir — were confined to a luxury hotel in Srinagar for two days after organisers failed to pay both the players and the hotel management. The situation eased only after a meeting on November 1, during which organisers assured pending payments. Local players were then allowed to leave the premises.
Despite these assurances, uncertainty continues to loom large over the league’s future.
The IHPL was organised by the Mohali-based Yuva Society and J&K Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Gul was present at the inaugural function along with senior bureaucrats. However, as the controversy deepened, Nuzhat distanced herself from the event, stating it had nothing to do with the Sports Council or the J&K government.
“J&K Sports Council has nothing to do with this league. We only provided them the ground facility. I don’t want to comment,” she told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
Mel Juniper, a coach with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and an umpire in the IHPL, confirmed the crisis while speaking to the media in Srinagar.
“The league has had to finish early. This has been through no fault of the players, hotel management, or staff — it’s all down to the league,” Juniper said.
She added that the hotel housing players and staff was instructed to lock its doors due to unpaid bills. “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,” she said. “It’s not fair on the players being away from their homes and families for this long without pay.”
Juniper further revealed that the league management had gone silent, with calls and messages going unanswered. “League management is nowhere to be seen. It’s just us on the ground floor trying to find a way out,” she said, adding that a few officials stayed back until the dues were cleared.
The incident has raised serious questions about the financial stability and governance of the IHPL, which had promised to bring a new wave of franchise cricket to Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said Chris Gayle left the hotel on Saturday evening, while the organisers remain untraceable.
A top police official confirmed that an FIR under relevant sections of law has been registered and an investigation is underway.
BJP Jammu and Kashmir spokesman Altaf Thakur said reports of players fleeing midway and local Kashmiris — including ground staff, umpires, and service providers — remaining unpaid are “deeply disturbing and unacceptable.”
“This entire episode reeks of mismanagement, deceit, and possible fraud. How was such a mega event allowed inside a government-owned facility without proper consent and approval? Was the Sports Minister unaware of this? If permission was not granted, then who allowed the organisers to occupy Bakshi Stadium?” Thakur questioned.
He said the organisers of the tournament must be identified, exposed, and booked under law for cheating the people of Kashmir and tarnishing the image of the region’s sporting spirit. “This is not just a case of unpaid dues — this is an insult to our youth and to the dignity of every Kashmiri who worked in good faith,” Thakur said.
The BJP leader demanded a high-level probe into the entire episode to fix responsibility and ensure that every individual who provided services — from players and umpires to vendors and ground staff — is paid their rightful dues immediately.
Thakur said the incident reflects a total collapse of coordination between the concerned authorities and called on the J&K administration to ensure that no private event is allowed in government sports facilities without formal approval and due diligence.
“Sports in Jammu and Kashmir must stand for honesty, opportunity, and transparency — not for fraud and exploitation. Those who played with the trust of our youth must face strict action,” Thakur added. (KINS)
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