'Lives are more important': Gautam Gambhir on RCB's IPL 2025 win celebrations, Bengaluru stampede

India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, voiced his deep concerns about the heartbreaking stampede that resulted in 11 fatalities and left 47 others injured during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2025 victory celebrations on Wednesday night. This tragic event, which unfolded outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, has ignited a nationwide conversation about crowd management and the necessity for better safety measures during large public gatherings.

Speaking to the media, Gambhir emphasized that such celebrations should never come at the expense of human lives.

"I was always a big believer that we need not have roadshows. I believed in this even when I was playing. I said the same thing after we won the World Cup in 2007 - that we should not have roadshows. Lives are more important, and I will continue to say that in the future," the former World Cup-winning opener said.

Gambhir urged the organizers to take a fresh look at how public celebrations are structured, proposing that they consider more controlled options.

"In the future, we should be a little more aware while planning these roadshows. We could consider hosting such celebrations indoors. We shouldn't have done that. Fans do get excited, fanbases do get emotional - but nothing is more important than human lives," he said.

"You can't, at any point, lose 11 people. For me, the roadshow should not have happened," he added.

Earlier today, G Jagadeesha, the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Bengaluru Urban, shared that notices will be sent out to RCB, KSCA, the Directorate of Public Assurance and Regulation (DPAR), and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) as part of the magistrate's investigation into the recent incident.

The Karnataka High Court has taken notice of the stampede incident on its own initiative and has issued a notice to the state government, asking for a thorough status report on the situation by Tuesday. The court has raised serious concerns about safety and crowd management at public events. During the hearing, the Karnataka government informed the High Court that more than 1,000 police personnel, including the City Police Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), and Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), were present at the event venue. 

In response to this tragedy, RCB has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each family of the deceased. Additionally, the team has launched a program called "RCB Cares" to support those injured in the stampede. Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also declared a separate compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each of the families of the 11 victims.

Also read| Bengaluru Stampede: FIR registered against RCB, Karnataka Cricket Body and others for 'criminal negligence'