Madan Lal slams RCB and Govt for 'hasty celebration'; Cricketers mourn fans killed during victory event

11 fans died and 33 were injured during RCB’s victory celebration outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium
Madan Lal blamed RCB and Karnataka government, calling the rushed celebration a major error in judgment
Harbhajan, Kumble, and Tendulkar expressed grief, calling the incident tragic and offering condolences to affected families

A stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration led to the death of 11 people and left 33 injured. The incident occurred on Wednesday, just hours after RCB returned to Bengaluru following their maiden IPL title win in Ahmedabad. Thousands had gathered near the stadium, causing overcrowding and chaos.

Former India pacer Madan Lal strongly criticised RCB’s decision to organise celebrations so soon after the final. “You celebrated in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night. What was the rush for holding celebrations in Bengaluru?” he asked. “Even if it was held after 2-3 days, the RCB fans would have still turned up. Had that been done, this incident might have been prevented,” he said. Lal held both RCB and the state government responsible, stating, “The franchise owner made a big mistake. If the state government had denied permission, the celebrations wouldn’t have gone ahead.”

RCB reportedly tried to organise a short victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to the stadium despite Bengaluru Traffic Police denying permission. As fans crowded the area in large numbers, the situation escalated. Inside the stadium, the event continued with brief addresses by players, including Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar, before it was cut short after news of the stampede spread.

Cricketers across generations reacted with sorrow. Harbhajan Singh called the incident “heartbreaking” and said the loss of lives had cast a dark shadow over cricket’s spirit. Irfan Pathan responded with a heartbreak emoji, while Anil Kumble stated, “It’s a sad day for cricket! My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives.” Sachin Tendulkar wrote, “What happened at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, is beyond tragic. My heart goes out to every affected family.”

The tragedy has drawn widespread attention, with calls for accountability and better planning in future. This was RCB’s first-ever IPL title after 18 seasons, but the celebrations have been overshadowed by the deadly incident.

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