RCB celebration tragedy: Sunil Gavaskar mourns stampede victims, urges restraint after emotional title win | Cricket News – Times of India

Cricketing icon Sunil Gavaskar has provided a heartfelt reflection on the tragic stampede that occurred outdoors Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, throughout Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 title celebration. The tragic incident claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured, casting a darkish shadow over what was meant to be a joyous second for the franchise and its followers.In his column for Mid-Day, Gavaskar described the incident as “heartbreaking” and prolonged his “heartfelt condolences to those who lost their loved ones.” Acknowledging the ache behind the tragedy, the 75-12 months-outdated legend emphasised the emotional depth RCB followers carried after practically 20 years of heartbreak.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“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 famous that RCB’s lengthy-standing slogan, “Ee Saala Cup Namde” (This 12 months, the cup is ours), had been extra of a burden than a motivation. Ironically, this 12 months, when the slogan was much less outstanding, RCB performed “some superb cricket,” setting a brand new IPL report by successful all their away video games.Speaking empathetically in regards to the followers’ devotion, he stated: “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 followers have with the sport 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 necessity for higher crowd administration, even in moments of euphoria.