What was meant to be a joyous occasion for Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans took a tragic turn outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as a stampede claimed multiple lives during the team’s celebratory parade following their historic IPL 2025 title win. Amidst the widespread shock and grief, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal issued a heartfelt statement expressing his condolences and urging a thorough investigation into the incident.
“This is truly a matter of deep sorrow,” Dhumal said to PTI. “What was meant to be a day of celebration has turned into a wave of grief. On behalf of the BCCI, I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. We are deeply saddened that people who came to celebrate were struck by such a tragedy.”
Dhumal clarified that the Indian Premier League, from the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) perspective, had officially concluded the previous day, and all necessary coordination had been made with local authorities. “As far as the BCCI is concerned, the IPL concluded yesterday. All necessary protocols were discussed with the concerned administration,” he stated, distancing the league’s organising body from the event’s on-ground planning and execution.
As the city mourns the loss of lives, questions remain about the coordination between the IPL authorities, the RCB franchise, and local government officials in organizing large-scale public events. The tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the importance of meticulous planning and crowd management in mass gatherings.
BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla Responds To Bengaluru Stampede, Calls For Collective Damage Control; Video
In the wake of the tragic stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru that reportedly claimed at least 11 lives during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebrations, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla has issued a statement urging collaborative efforts for damage control and clarity on how the situation unfolded.
Speaking to ANI, Shukla acknowledged that government authorities had already cancelled the open-top bus roadshow in an effort to avoid overcrowding and any potential stampede-like scenario. However, he admitted that the crowd surge outside the stadium gates had not been anticipated.
"The government did stop the roadshow in order to avoid stampede or any such situation. But it was not anticipated that a stampede would happen outside the stadium. Everybody should work together on the damage control," Shukla said.
The incident occurred on June 4, as thousands of RCB fans swarmed the Chinnaswamy Stadium for a felicitation ceremony following the team’s maiden IPL title win, achieved just a day earlier. With free passes and celebratory fervor spreading rapidly across social media, crowd control became increasingly difficult, ultimately leading to a deadly stampede outside the stadium gates.
