What began as a historic celebration for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on June 4 quickly turned into a scene of tragedy in the heart of Bengaluru. Just a day after their triumphant Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 win in Ahmedabad, the team’s homecoming victory parade ended in chaos as a stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed multiple lives, including that of a child, and left many fans injured.
The festivities kicked off at Vidhan Soudha and proceeded toward the iconic stadium, where thousands of enthusiastic supporters had gathered since early morning to celebrate their beloved team’s long-awaited IPL victory. However, poor crowd control and overwhelming turnout soon led to panic. Reports indicated that fans began climbing over barbed wire fences in a desperate bid to see the team or gain access to the stadium, some without valid entry passes.
As the scale of the tragedy unfolded, the franchise issued an emotional statement through its official social media platforms. “We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents that have come to light through media reports regarding public gatherings all over Bengaluru in anticipation of the team’s arrival this afternoon,” RCB said. “The safety and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us. RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extend our heartfelt condolences to the affected families. Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our program, and followed, the guidance and advice of the local administration. We urge all our supporters to please stay safe.”
In response to the fatalities, city authorities quickly curtailed the remaining celebrations. Criticism has since mounted against the Karnataka government and the RCB social media team for encouraging mass turnouts without apparent crowd management measures in place.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), while expressing concern, distanced itself from the incident. Secretary Devajit Saikia stated, “This is eye-opener and we have to think about what we should do in such situations. There will be a winner every year and there will be a celebration in their home city. So we have to learn a lesson so it doesn’t happen in the future. At this moment, the BCCI has no control over private celebrations of a franchise. Something went terribly wrong today in Bengaluru but the BCCI has no role to play.”
As investigations continue, the somber turn of events casts a long shadow over what was supposed to be a landmark moment for RCB and its fans.
