BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia reacted after reports of deaths and injuries emerged from a stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium.

BCCI Secretary Calls Bengaluru Stampede During RCB Celebrations “Disgraceful” and Blames Security Lapses

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic celebration of their maiden IPL title — ending an 18-year-long wait — turned tragic on Wednesday when a stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives and left 33 others injured. Thousands of fans had gathered outside the stadium to catch a glimpse of their favorite RCB stars, who had defeated Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad the previous night.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia called the incident “shocking” and blamed serious lapses in security and planning. Speaking to Hindustan Times, he said, “I am not just shocked but disgraced by this incident. It was such a wonderful and colourful closing of the IPL, and to see it marred by such tragedy is deeply frustrating.”

As chaos unfolded outside, police reportedly struggled to control the swelling crowd and were even forced to use mild force. Meanwhile, the celebrations continued inside the stadium, where RCB players, including captain Rajat Patidar and Virat Kohli, addressed the packed audience and displayed the trophy. Saikia refrained from commenting on why the event went on despite the tragedy, stating, “It will not be proper for me to pass any comment.”

However, he strongly criticized the lack of planning and protocol by the local organisers and authorities. “There must have been serious lapses on the part of the organisers and district administration in allowing such a massive gathering without following safety and security protocols,” Saikia said, drawing comparisons to better-managed events such as India’s T20 World Cup celebration in Mumbai, which was incident-free despite huge crowds.

He added that the incident likely stemmed from the short notice given for the celebrations. “It is not possible to plan such events in such a short time. Maybe somebody made a mistake at some point, which led to this tragedy. As a result, so many cricket fans have lost their lives, and many others are injured.”

The BCCI secretary extended his condolences to the victims’ families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

‘Need to do some soul searching’

The tragic stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations has not only shocked the cricketing world but also prompted the BCCI to consider a serious review of post-tournament festivities. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia stated that the incident will likely lead to internal discussions and new protocols on how such celebrations should be handled in the future.

“We hope good sense will prevail, and in future, whoever organises such events will follow the necessary protocols after proper due diligence,” Saikia said, stressing that the responsibility for such celebrations lies with local authorities and franchises, not the BCCI directly. “After the IPL is over, BCCI has no direct role to play.”

However, in light of the tragedy, Saikia acknowledged the need for the board to step in with clearer guidelines. “Maybe we’ll have to think about the future because every year, there will be celebrations by the winning team in some city,” he said. “We may need to do some soul-searching and conduct brainstorming sessions to establish norms for post-IPL events so that such tragedies are never repeated.”

The BCCI secretary reiterated that this unfortunate incident should serve as a wake-up call for all stakeholders involved in planning large-scale public gatherings linked to cricket celebrations.