RCB Breaks Silence After IPL Title Celebration Tragedy: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s long wait for an IPL trophy finally ended on June 3, when they edged past Punjab Kings by six runs to lift their maiden title. The team had planned a grand celebration with fans at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, but what was supposed to be a day of joy turned into a heartbreaking tragedy.
Big names like Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar showed up at the venue, and fans had gathered in huge numbers to catch a glimpse of their heroes who ended an 18-year wait. Sadly, things spiraled out of control when a stampede broke out outside the stadium.
A Celebration That Turned Tragic
The incident left a devastating impact – 11 people lost their lives and nearly 50 others were injured. Soon after, RCB faced widespread criticism for poor event management. FIRs and charges followed, and the franchise went completely silent on social media for months.
That silence finally ended on August 28.
RCB Announces “RCB CARES”
The Bengaluru franchise broke its silence by posting a heartfelt message on X (formerly Twitter). In their statement, they announced the launch of “RCB CARES”, a platform aimed at supporting and addressing the concerns of their fans.
Here’s what RCB wrote:
“Dear 12th Man Army, this is our heartfelt letter to you! It’s been close to three months since we last posted here. The Silence wasn’t Absence. It was Grief. This space was once filled with energy, memories, and moments that you enjoyed the most.. But June 4th changed everything. That day broke our hearts, and the silence since then has been our way of holding space. In that silence, we’ve been grieving. Listening. Learning. And slowly, we’ve begun to build something more than just a response. Something we truly believe in.”
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“That’s how RCB CARES came to life. It grew out of a need to honour, to heal, and to stand beside our fans. A platform for meaningful action shaped by our community & fans. We return to this space today, not with celebration but with care. To share. To stand with you. To walk forward, together. To continue being the pride of Karnataka. RCB CARES. And we always will. More details soon…”
Dear 12th Man Army, this is our heartfelt letter to you!
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.
The Silence wasn’t Absence. It was Grief.
This space was once filled with energy, memories and moments that you… pic.twitter.com/g0lOXAuYbd
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) August 28, 2025
Earlier, on June 5, RCB had also promised to provide compensation of ₹10 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede.
Aftermath of the Incident
The tragedy not only brought grief to many families but also left a deep scar on the reputation of the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium. In fact, the ICC later announced that Mumbai would replace Bengaluru as one of the five venues for the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup, citing “unforeseen circumstances.”
An inquiry into the stampede concluded that the Chinnaswamy Stadium was not fit to host major events for the time being, further tarnishing its image.
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