A joyous occasion turned tragic in Bengaluru when a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebrations at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium led to the deaths of 11 supporters and injuries to many others. The incident occurred after RCB secured their maiden IPL championship on June 3 in Ahmedabad, with a recognition ceremony planned in Bengaluru on Wednesday, June 4th.

Large crowds of enthusiastic fans gathered outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium, eager to celebrate with their cricketing heroes. However, the situation escalated as the crowd numbers swelled beyond manageable limits. Reports indicate that law enforcement resorted to a lathi-charge to control the burgeoning assembly, which unfortunately triggered widespread panic and a subsequent stampede.

Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal strongly criticized the event's organization, citing inadequate planning and poor crowd control as primary reasons for the disaster. "While people were dying outside, there was celebration inside. It's truly shocking and disheartening," Lal stated, suggesting that the families of the deceased should consider legal action against RCB and the state government. He also accused the BCCI of shirking its responsibility.

In response to the tragedy, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a compensation package of Rs 10 lakh for each of the bereaved families. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar defended the security arrangements, stating that 5,000 police personnel had been deployed but using force on such a young and vibrant crowd was challenging. It was also noted that a planned victory procession from Vidhana Soudha to the Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium had been cancelled earlier due to security concerns.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) also addressed the incident, announcing on Thursday, June 5th, a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of each of the 11 deceased individuals. Furthermore, the franchise launched the "RCB Cares" fund to provide support to the fans injured during the stampede.

Regarding the injured, most were reported to have been discharged from hospitals. A few individuals continued to receive treatment at Bengaluru’s Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital and Vydehi Superspeciality Hospital, with officials confirming their condition as stable. T Kemparaju, Medical Superintendent at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, mentioned that out of 18 patients treated there, only a few remained under care.