Royal Challengers Bangalore celebrated their first IPL win after 18 years. The team was felicitated by Karnataka's CM and Deputy CM, but a stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium led to several fatalities, overshadowing the victory.
The newly-crowned IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru were felicitated by the Karnataka Chief Minister M Siddaramiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Wednesday, June 4.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally put an end to their 18-year title drought by clinching their maiden IPL triumph by defeating Punjab Kings in a thrilling final in front of a packed crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, June 3. RCB registered a narrow 6-run win over PBKS to lift their maiden IPL trophy, which had eluded them for the last 18 years.
RCB reached the final thrice in 2009, 2011, and 2016, but fell agonizingly short of winning the title. In their fourth IPL final appearance, Royal Challengers Bengaluru overcame past heartbreaks to secure their maiden IPL triumph.
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RCB welcomed by ministers at Vidhana Soudha
Royal Challengers Bengaluru players landed in Bengaluru in the afternoon and were received by Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at the Kempegowda International Airport. Thereafter, the players headed straight to the Karnataka Assembly for the felicitation ceremony hosted by the Karnataka government.
A throng of fans was patiently waiting to witness the newly-crowned champions outside Vidhana Soudha, cheering loudly as the RCB team arrived for the felicitation ceremony with the coveted IPL trophy in hand. Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s players arrived at the venue to rousing cheers and chants of ‘RCB, RCB’, as fans celebrated the historic moment outside the iconic Vidhana Soudha.
The Karnataka CM and Deputy CM felicitated the players with Mysuru Peta and Puspha Maala, honouring them in traditional style for bringing home the IPL trophy and making the state proud with their historic maiden title win.
However, the felicitation ceremony was immediately called off after rain interrupted the celebration, and the players were immediately escorted to their team and headed to M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Chaos outside Chinnaswamy Stadium
Amid the felicitation ceremony at Vidhana Soudha, there was a massive chaos outside RCB’s home ground, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where several fans were fatally injured due to a sudden stampede triggered by overcrowding and lack of management as thousands gathered to catch a glimpse of the victorious RCB team.
According to reports, 11 people were feared dead and several others were injured in the unfortunate stampede outside the iconic stadium, casting a dark shadow over what was meant to be a day of celebration for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and their fans following their maiden IPL title win in 18 years.
However, there is no official statement by the franchise whether the victory celebration at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium would be called off amid chaotic scenes that were attributed to overcrowding, lack of crowd control measures, and a lack of timely coordination between local authorities and Karnataka Cricket Association (KCA) administration.
The fans gathered outside the stadium, way before the RCB players arrived in Bengaluru, in hopes of securing a good spot to witness their heroes up close, but the overwhelming turnout quickly turned uncontrollable, leading to tragic consequences.
