The celebrations meant to commemorate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic first IPL win turned into a tragic tragedy, with eleven people killed and over 50 injured in a stampede outside Bengaluru’s landmark M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Months after the incident, RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, has requested the franchise to remember the victims and make their memories a part of the team’s legacy.
On June 4, thousands of supporters gathered outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate the RCB first IPL title. The throng far exceeded the stadium’s capacity, and with barriers failing and no effective crowd control, a rush ensued, killing 11 innocent people and injuring dozens more. The RCB promptly announced a compensation of INR 10 lakh for each victim’s family and established the “RCB Cares” fund to provide medical and financial assistance to those injured.
“Cricket and the IPL are all about enthusiasm and fun, and one of our most important motivators is our fans. We discussed during the competition how we wanted to win for our followers. They have been the patient ones. Some of us are new. These fans had waited 18 years, so we wanted to do it for them, and the fact that some of them died makes us very sad. We want to be able to acknowledge those individuals and their families. Their stories have become part of our history. Every sports team has its own history and heritage. What they’ve endured becomes part of our tradition and history, and we must honour them.
RCB, event partners, KSCA held responsible for stampede
The stampede also triggered a government inquiry led by Justice John Michael D’Cunha. The commission announced the Chinnaswamy Stadium as fundamentally unsafe for hosting large-scale events. Its design, lack of adequate entry and exit points, poor emergency alertness, and absence of proper public access systems were all cited as serious safety risks.
The report held RCB, its event partners, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) responsible for mismanagement, while also recommending disciplinary action against several officials.
As a direct consequence, the stadium was dropped as a venue for the upcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. Matches, including a semi-final and potentially the final, will now be hosted at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.
India
