Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic IPL 2025 victory took a devastating turn on Wednesday evening, June 4, as a stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives and left at least 47 people injured. Thousands of fans had gathered to celebrate the team’s long-awaited win, but the overwhelming crowd size led to chaos and panic.

The tragedy unfolded just as the players were taking a lap of honour inside the stadium to thank their fans. While the energy inside the venue was electric, outside it was a different story. Fans pushed past barriers to get a glimpse of their cricketing heroes, and amid the surging crowd, a temporary slab placed over a drain reportedly gave way—triggering the fatal stampede.

Kohli Says He’s ‘At a Loss for Words’

Virat Kohli, one of RCB’s most iconic players, expressed his deep grief following the incident. Taking to Instagram, he shared the team’s official statement and added his own personal message.

“At a loss for words. Absolutely gutted,” Kohli wrote, adding a broken heart emoji to show just how shaken he was.

Kohli, who had earlier addressed the cheering crowd inside the stadium with a heartfelt message, called the victory one for the fans.

“I’m going to start off by saying: it’s no longer ‘Ee Saala Cup Namde’—it’s ‘Ee Saala Cup Namdu’. We’ve done it,” he said, his voice filled with emotion.
“This win isn’t just for the players—it’s for the fans, for the people of this incredible city. People who’ve supported RCB for 18 years, through highs and lows. I’ve never seen a fanbase like this anywhere else in the world. Congratulations to all of you.”

Over Two Lakh People Showed Up—Far Beyond Stadium Capacity

Despite the M Chinnaswamy Stadium having a capacity of only 35,000, more than two lakh fans reportedly showed up to take part in the celebrations. The crowd far exceeded expectations and control, leading to questions over why the event wasn’t better managed or moved to a larger space.

Entry to the event was meant to be by passes only, but that didn’t stop massive crowds from gathering outside the gates. The stampede occurred when a temporary slab outside the stadium collapsed due to the weight of fans standing on it, according to early reports provided to the Karnataka government.

RCB and Officials Respond to the Tragedy

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in an official statement, said:
“Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our programme and followed the guidance and advice of the local administration.”

The event, which was initially scheduled to run longer, was cut short to just 20 minutes as news of the incident filtered in.

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which is now facing intense scrutiny, announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of each person who died in the stampede.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia clarified that the Board of Control for Cricket in India was not responsible for the planning or organisation of the celebrations. However, he acknowledged that there were “lapses in its organisation.”

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who had welcomed the team at the airport earlier in the day, also attended the event. Just before arriving at the stadium, the team was felicitated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha—the state assembly.