India’s legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar and World Cup-winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh condoled the “tragic” stampede near Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which killed 11 people and injured nearly 50 fans during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Indian Premier League (IPL) victory celebrations on Wednesday.
The incident occurred when thousands of fans gathered near the iconic stadium to catch a glimpse of their favourite players during RCB’s maiden IPL title felicitation event. The celebratory event, which drew over two lakh fans to the Chinnaswamy Stadium—well beyond its 35,000-seat capacity—was cut short to just 20 minutes after organisers were alerted to the chaos unfolding outside. All RCB players and support staff, including head coach Andy Flower and team mentor Dinesh Karthik, were present at the event.
Sachin Tendulkar took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his grief, writing, “What happened at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, is beyond tragic. My heart goes out to every affected family. Wishing peace and strength to all.”
Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh offered his condolences, saying, “What was meant to be a moment of celebration turned into an unimaginable tragedy. My heart goes out to everyone affected by the incident in #Bengaluru. May the families find strength and the departed souls rest in peace.”
Former India spinner Anil Kumble mourned the lives lost and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. “It’s a sad day for cricket! My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives while celebrating RCB’s victory today. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured. Tragic!!” he wrote on X.
In a statement, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) expressed deep condolences over the loss of lives and said the felicitation event, which featured players and coaching staff, was promptly altered as soon as the franchise was informed about the stampede outside the stadium.
“We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents that have come to light through media reports regarding public gatherings across Bengaluru in anticipation of the team’s arrival this afternoon. The safety and well-being of everyone is of the utmost importance to us,” RCB said in a statement.
“RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extends our heartfelt condolences to the affected families. Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our programme and followed the guidance and advice of the local administration,” the statement added.