RCB celebration tragedy: Sunil Gavaskar mourns stampede victims; says 'if they had won it in the first few years ...'

Sunil Gavaskar reflects on the Bengaluru stampede during RCB celebrations.

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Cricketing icon Sunil Gavaskar has offered a heartfelt reflection on the tragic stampede that occurred outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 title celebration. The tragic incident claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured, casting a dark shadow over what was meant to be a joyous moment for the franchise and its fans.In his column for Mid-Day, Gavaskar described the incident as “heartbreaking” and extended his “heartfelt condolences to those who lost their loved ones.” Acknowledging the pain behind the tragedy, the 75-year-old legend emphasised the emotional intensity RCB fans carried after nearly two decades of heartbreak.“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,” he wrote. “Other teams have won but their celebrations have been a lot less frenetic maybe because their fans didn’t have to wait this long.”Gavaskar noted that RCB’s long-standing slogan, “Ee Saala Cup Namde” (This year, the cup is ours), had been more of a burden than a motivation.Ironically, this year, when the slogan was less prominent, RCB played “some superb cricket,” setting a new IPL record by winning all their away games.Speaking empathetically about the fans' devotion, he said: “All that those people wanted was a glimpse of the players who had given them so much joy… It was totally understandable for their joy to know no bounds.”Gavaskar concluded by underlining the deep connection fans have with the game and its stars: “Haven’t we all been fans of someone before… maybe even touch them, maybe even get a quick photo with them?”The tragedy stands as a sobering reminder of the need for better crowd management, even in moments of euphoria.

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