Former Team India legend Sunil Gavaskar has expressed grief over the tragic stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where 11 people lost their lives and over 50 were injured during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebrations.
The incident occurred on June 4, as massive crowds gathered to celebrate the team’s maiden IPL title win—marking a heartbreaking end to what was meant to be a joyful occasion.
Gavaskar, in his column for Mid-Day, mourned the incident while also praising RCB’s season and the unbreakable spirit of their fans. “What a tragedy? The loss of lives due to a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium is heartbreaking indeed. All that those people wanted was a glimpse of the players who had given them so much joy and happiness over the years, especially in the last two months. The IPL Trophy, which they kept hoping would be theirs every year but never did, was finally coming to them after a wait of 18 years.”
“Heartfelt condolences to those who lost their loved ones” – Sunil Gavaskar
Gavaskar also reflected on the emotional intensity among the RCB fanbase, saying, “If RCB had won the Trophy in the first few years, there would not have been this outpouring of emotion as happened after the long wait of 18 years… This year, when that slogan was barely heard, the team played some superb cricket, most of it away from their fans.”
He lauded RCB’s unbeaten away record and acknowledged the fans’ desire to welcome their team as heroes. “Heartfelt condolences to those who lost their loved ones… there’s no doubt that the prayers of their loved ones made a contribution to bringing that elusive Cup to Bengaluru,” he added.
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