 "'What a tragedy? ': Sunil Gavaskar finally opens up on stampede during RCB's IPL 2025 victory celebration")
Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his grief over the tragic stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where several people lost their lives. The heartbreaking incident happened as fans gathered to see their beloved Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team celebrate their first-ever IPL title win.
RCB defeated Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 final by 6 runs last week to win their maiden trophy after 18 long years. The team flew from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru via a chartered flight the next afternoon to celebrate the victory with their fans. Upon arrival, the RCB team was taken to the hotel, and from there, they went straight to the Vidhana Soudha for a felicitation ceremony by the Karnataka state government.
They were greeted by tens of thousands of fans throughout their route from the airport to the hotel and then to Vidhana Soudha. RCB team was scheduled to visit the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as their last stop for fans to see the trophy and their heroes. Many people were gathered outside the stadium in the hope of getting a seat inside to see their heroes.
RCB had announced after winning the final that they would celebrate the title with fans at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on 4 June, and that there would be limited free tickets available. The post was deleted after the stampede incident, which killed 11 people and injured several others. Earlier, the Bengaluru traffic police had cancelled the open-bus tour due to safety concerns.
Sunil Gavaskar reacts to Bengaluru stampede
Writing in his column for Mid-Day, Gavaskar said “What a tragedy? The loss of lives due to a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium is heartbreaking indeed. All that those people wanted was a glimpse of the players who had given them so much joy and happiness over the years, especially in the last two months. The IPL Trophy, which they kept hoping would be theirs every year but never did, was finally coming to them after a wait of 18 years."
“If RCB had won the Trophy in the first few years, there would not have been this outpouring of emotion as happened after the long wait of 18 years. Other teams have won but their celebrations have been a lot less frenetic maybe because their fans didn’t have to wait this long. The slogan ‘Ee saala cup naamde’ seemed to be like a millstone around the necks of the team. This year, when that slogan was barely heard, the team played some superb cricket, most of it away from their fans,” he added.
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More Shorts“They won every single game they played away, which is a new record in the IPL. No wonder the home fans wanted to give them a special ovation. Heartfelt condolences to those who lost their loved ones. Prayers of the fans can change fortunes, and there’s no doubt that the prayers of their loved ones made a contribution to bringing that elusive Cup to Bengaluru,” Gavaskar concluded.
There is currently a blame game going on between the authorities and the organisers. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has blamed the RCB team for mismanaging the crowd at the Chinnaswamy, while the government has blamed KSCA officials. An inquiry has been initiated in the matter, and the investigation is on. RCB’s marketing head, Nikhil Sosale, has been arrested.
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