Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 title-winning celebrations on Wednesday resulted in a massive gathering of people outside both Vidhana Soudha and the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, ultimately resulting in 11 people dying in an ugly stampede.
On the day, the players had first been felicitated by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha, before travelling to the Chinnaswamy. However, visuals have emerged showing that the RCB players, including Virat Kohli, were heavily mobbed by fans as they aimed to leave Vidhana Soudha, and not even police could do much about it.
The felicitation ceremony at Vidhana Soudha had been abruptly interrupted by a burst of rain in Bengaluru. The players and government officials had to be escorted away by police from the place. Soon after, amidst news of the mass stampede outside the Chinnaswamy, the players appeared in the stadium, lifting the cup.
However, visuals from fans have emerged from the time when the players attempted to leave Vidhana Soudha. Despite the presence of a number of policemen, they seemingly could not stop the overflow of people as the players attempted to make their way through. Virat Kohli was among the people there, and had something in his hand to try and save himself from the rain.
Video: Virat Kohli mobbed by fans as police struggle to control crowd
The visuals come as yet more evidence about the mismanagement of the celebrations. While RCB were initially supposed to conduct an open-top bus parade as they make their way from Vidhana Soudha to the Chinnaswamy, it ultimately did not happen.
Meanwhile, ahead of leaving for the England tour, the Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday expressed his condolences to families who lost their members in the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, and said that he “was never a believer in roadshows.”
The incident occurred when thousands of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite players ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebrations on Wednesday.
“I was never a believer in roadshows. I had the same statement to make even after winning in 2007; we should never have roadshows. I think the lives of people are far more important than this, and I will continue to say that. Maybe in the future we should try not to hold roadshows, instead we can do it in the stadium. It’s very tragic what happened yesterday, and my heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives,” Gambhir said during India’s pre-departure press conference on Thursday.
“All I can say is, we need to be responsible. Every life matters. If we are not ready to hold a road show, we should not do that. You cannot at any point of time lose 11 people,” he added.
Eleven people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy stadium as a huge crowd of nearly 3 lakh people had gathered to witness the victory celebration of RCB for winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday. The Karnataka Police have also filed an FIR against the Karnataka Cricket Board Administrative Committee, RCB, among others, in connection with the stampede incident.