The legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has made a bold statement on the deadly stampede in Bengaluru. A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru as around three lakh people gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) first-ever IPL title win.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic IPL 2025 triumph quickly turned into a black day in the league’s history, with 11 people losing their lives and over 60 people injured in the deadly stampede caused by mismanagement and overcrowding during the celebrations in Bengaluru.
Sunil Gavaskar says RCB’s long wait for the IPL title led to a deadly stampede
As the Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans had waited nearly two decades for this moment, they poured into the streets. Unfortunately, the overwhelming turnout led to chaos outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, and a lack of proper crowd control triggered the deadly stampede.
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Now, Sunil Gavaskar expressed his sadness over the loss of lives, saying RCB’s long wait for the IPL title had intensified the emotions and made celebrations more charged than ever before. Gavaskar said that had RCB won the title earlier, this tragedy wouldn’t have happened.
Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day: “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. Other teams have won, but their celebrations have been a lot less frenetic, maybe because their fans didn’t have to wait this long.”
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The former Indian captain also noted that RCB’s famous slogan “Ee Saala Cup Naamde” had become a burden for the team over the years, and this year, they avoided it and became champions.
Gavaskar added, “The slogan ‘Ee saala cup naamde’ seemed to be like a millstone around the necks of the team. This year, when that slogan was barely heard, the team played some superb cricket, most of it away from their fans.”
Gavaskar praised Royal Challengers Bengaluru for their perfect away record in IPL 2025, calling it a special achievement. The commentator said it was no wonder that the fans gathered in huge numbers to celebrate the team’s success.
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He also offered heartfelt condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the tragic stampede. The legendary batter also noted that the prayers and support of their fans played a key role in RCB’s long-awaited title win.
‘Heartbreaking Tragedy’: Sunil Gavaskar on Bengaluru Stampede
However, Gavaskar called the stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium a heartbreaking tragedy. He said that fans only wanted to catch a glimpse of their heroes, who finally brought the IPL trophy home after 18 years.
The legendary cricketer said that the RCB fans’ excitement was natural, as many just hoped to see, cheer, or take a photo with the players who brought them so much joy.
Gavaskar signed off by saying, “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.”