“This was a deadly welcome to IPL champions” - Former Indian cricketer opens up on stampede at RCB IPL title celebrations

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Syed Kirmani, who was part of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, opened up on the stampede situation at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL title celebrations at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, June 4.

Notably, 11 people lost their lives and at least 50 people got injured during this incident, which turned things upside down in a matter of seconds. Kirmani stated that it was a deadly welcome for the new IPL champions in the city.

Interestingly, the RCB management and the Karnataka government organised this victory celebration at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, but due to improper precautions and security measures, a stampede took place.

"My condolences to bereaved families. This was a deadly welcome to IPL champions. In our times, there was no such media hype and there was no TV and there was no such thing which could lead to such things," Kirmani told India Today.

Furthermore, the former Indian cricketer also asserted that if the franchise was to be felicitated, it should have been done after following proper security measures with necessary arrangements and after some time.

"On that count I suppose if RCB waited for 17 (18) years to become champions and organizers, whosoever it may be could have waited for a while for things to settle down and then organize a show to felicitate these great heroes of RCB,” he added.

Moreover, he questioned the fans, who were part of the title celebrations, whether they would turn up and cheer for their Karnataka state team if they won the Ranji Trophy.

"The fans of our times were not as crazy as fans of today and especially in the IPL, the crazy fans are unimaginable particularly as you could see lakhs and lakhs were around just to get a glimpse of these great heroes,” he concluded.

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