BCCI break silence on stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium: 'Totally shocking. There have been lapses'
A tragic incident unfolded at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday when at least eight people died and more than 40 were injured in a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL title celebrations.
The celebration was meant to mark the team's first
IPL
championship after an 18-year wait, following their victory over Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
The situation turned chaotic as thousands of fans gathered outside the stadium to catch a glimpse of the Rajat Patidar-led team. Police forces struggled to maintain control of the crowds, eventually resorting to mild force to manage the situation.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
The incident prompted an immediate response from
BCCI
secretary Devajit Saikia, who acknowledged serious security lapses in the organisation of the victory celebration.
"This incident of deaths due to stampede is totally shocking for us. We at BCCI extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. We also pray for the speedy recovery of all those who have been injured. When one organises a victory celebrations of this magnitude, proper precautions, safety and security measures need to be taken.
There has been some lapses in some corner somewhere. Due diligence should have been done so that an incident like this could have been avoided," Saikia told news agency PTI.
The BCCI secretary also expressed concern about the ongoing celebrations, hoping to prevent any further incidents.
Saikia drew a comparison to recent successful crowd management efforts, highlighting the IPL finals at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium and the T20 World Cup victory parade in Mumbai.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans at the Vidhan Soudha in Bengaluru during the team's felicitation ceremony. (AP)
"I have heard that celebrations are on and I sincerely hope that nothing untoward happens. Even yesterday in Ahmedabad, during IPL finals, there were 120,000 people at the Narendra Modi Stadium. But BCCI has a dedicated team which has done elaborate planning in coordination with local district administration and law enforcing authorities to ensure that safety and security of the spectators," he said.
He further elaborated on the BCCI's approach to organising large-scale celebrations, citing the T20 World Cup victory parade as an example.
"When we organised the Victory parade in Mumbai after the T20 World Cup, we had spoken to the local authorities and made elaborate arrangements keeping in mind the safety and security of the crowd who had come to see their heroes," Saikia added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
33 minutes ago
- News18
Deaths of three labourers inside BSNL duct in Pune: Contractor arrested
Last Updated: Pune, Aug 21 (PTI) A contractor was arrested on Thursday in connection with the deaths of three labourers who were working inside an underground BSNL optical fibre duct in Nigdi area of Pimpri Chinchwad, a police official said. The incident took place on August 15, the official said. 'Ramesh Shivaji Patil (46) had been awarded a contract to lay optical fibre cables through an existing underground duct network. However, the duct chamber, which had reportedly remained sealed for several days, was reopened without carrying out adequate safety checks," he said. Patil failed to provide skilled manpower and proper protective equipment, deploying untrained workers in violation of safety norms, he said. 'Deceased Lakhan Asruba Dhavare (35) and Dattatray Vijaykumar Honale (35) of Chinchwad, and Sahebrao Sambhaji Girshete (35) from Bijlinagar entered a 10×10-foot underground chamber containing stagnant water. They allegedly inhaled toxic fumes and lost consciousness. They were rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared them dead on arrival," the official said. Initial investigations suggest toxic gases accumulated inside the sealed chamber led to the suffocation of the workers, Nigdi police station senior inspector Bhojraj said. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited officials have also been booked for negligence, he said. The case, initially registered as an accidental death, has now been converted into a criminal offence under Section 105 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, police said. PTI SPK BNM view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Having to sit out of Tests eventually got to me, Ashwin tells Dravid
Last Updated: Mumbai, Aug 21 (PTI) Having to sit out of Test matches on away tours 'eventually got to me", says Indian spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin of his abrupt international retirement in the middle of the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Ashwin, only the second Indian bowler to have taken over 500 Test wickets after Anil Kumble, surprised everyone by announcing his retirement after the third Test in Brisbane last December. 'I was pretty old, I must admit. But going on tours, and having to just sit out (a) lot more, eventually got to me," Ashwin told former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid in a chat on his YouTube channel. 'I mean, not in terms of not wanting to contribute to the team, but you're thinking if I would rather be at home, spending time with children. They are also growing up, and what am I actually doing? So I just felt like okay… In my head, I always decided that I would retire at 34-35. But just the fact that I could not play a lot in between…" he added. Ashwin, who made his Test debut in November 2011, took 383 wickets in India in 65 Tests and in 40 away matches, he grabbed another 150 wickets. He took four wickets in the only neutral Test — the 2019-21 World Test Championship final against New Zealand in UK. Meanwhile, Dravid said Rohit Sharma's ability to stay calm, care deeply about his team and communicate clearly his thoughts and ideas stood out for him, as the two became one of the most successful captain-coach pairings in the national team's history. With Rohit and Dravid at the helm, the Indian team enjoyed a terrific run particularly in white-ball cricket as the side made it to the final of the ODI World Cup in 2023 and won the T20 World Cup the following year. 'It was really good. The thing with Rohit that I always felt was that he deeply cared about the team and he was, right from the first day, he was very clear about how he wanted to run the team and what was important to him," Dravid said. 'And that's really important in any relationship between a captain and a coach, especially the way I coach. I always like to believe that it should be the captain's team." 'I've been a player, and I've been a captain as well, but a captain has to lead in terms of the direction he wants to go in, and you have to support him and help him in that," he added. Dravid said Rohit was 'very clear" about what he wanted from the team and how it should operate, adding that his experience also helped. 'You sometimes need to help a captain in terms of getting that clarity and understanding what is required," Dravid said. 'But with Rohit, I thought he was very clear about what he wanted from the team, how he wanted the environment to be, how he wanted the atmosphere to be, and how he wanted things to run," Dravid said. 'He had so much experience over the years, and that really helped. He was very clear on those things," he added. Dravid said he understood the requirement was to create a comfortable environment for Rohit to operate. 'For me, it was just working with him on challenging him at times on certain things, but also just working with him to ensure that you know, he was able to be comfortable in that space," Dravid said. 'Because I knew once he was comfortable in that space, then he was going to perform and he was going to get everyone else to perform." Former India captain Dravid said being able to chat with Rohit on non-cricket matters also helped them as a pair. 'I just enjoyed sort of getting to know him as a person and chatting with him. There were a lot of times (during) our conversations, we were comfortable enough to be able to sit and have conversations with each other without having to talk only cricket," he said. 'It felt easy spending time in the evening with him to have a meal, you know, I wasn't forced or it wasn't like, 'oh, we have to convince it and have a meeting'," he added. 'Having seen him as an U-19 kid and given him his first gap as a cricketer to see how he grew as a person and as a leader was actually really nice," Dravid said. PTI DDV DDV AH AH (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Big cricket talent pool and jockeying for India team spots
Mumbai: Before Shreyas Iyer's non-selection in India's T20 Asia Cup squad, Kuldeep Yadav not finding a place in the Test playing eleven in the England series was the topic of much debate in Indian cricket. Such is the amount of talent that is being churned out in the country season after season that the level of competition for spots in the Indian sides has reached unprecedented levels. Punjab Kings' captain Shreyas Iyer during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final. (PTI) The demands on cricketers trying to establish themselves in the national side is huge. It is not just about breaking the door down at the domestic level to win selection. Staying there is a massive challenge. There are many names that have missed out on the Asia Cup squad despite being as good as those who have been included. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Prasidh Krishna and KL Rahul can walk into any international T20 side. The point is all of them had got their chances in the India team but are yet to establish themselves. One great example for an Indian cricketer is Sunil Gavaskar. He has often emphasised in TV commentary that the onus is on a player to make himself undroppable. The Indian batting legend had gone out and done exactly that by scoring 774 runs in his debut Test series. Once he made the break, he ensured he stayed there, maintaining consistency, and finishing his 125-Test career across 15 years with a brilliant 96. If that is the kind of commitment international sport demanded during his time, the IPL-fuelled explosion of talent now makes it many times harder. Once you lose your spot for whatever reason, then it is not the same, says former chief selector Kiran More. 'Everyone is given a chance, if somebody is deserving the selectors will go out of the way to create a chance for you – 'this boy is good, he has the potential, let's give him an opportunity'. You have to grab it with both hands. If you don't, then there is a question mark all the time (against his name),' says the former India wicketkeeper. Pant is an example of a player who can walk into any team, but he was not in the ODI XI at the Champions Trophy and in the T20 squad. 'If you miss the opportunity, there are people who are waiting. Once you establish yourself then nobody can touch you. Every match, day-and-night, you have to perform. It is tough competition so you have to be ready, can't relax.' Apart from talent and technical skills, for the selectors it comes down to many things – hunger to perform, professionalism and ambition. Test skipper Shubman Gill is a classic example of ambition. His aim is to break records, be rated as among the best batters in the world. Compare Gill to his India Under-19 captain, Prithvi Shaw. In the junior days, Shaw was ahead. He got his India debut ahead of Gill, but a lack of ambition and discipline derailed his India career. He is again trying to rebuild his career. Indian cricket challenges you in many ways. Karun Nair, Kuldeep and Sanju Samson, in different formats, are examples of players who missed their first opportunities to cement their places. As seen in Nair's case, it is never easy to make your way back again. He had to wait for eight years, going through the grind of Ranji Trophy to break the door open for a Test comeback. The recent Test series in England was again a chance frittered away as Nair got only one half-century in four matches and eight innings. Due to the impetus provided by IPL, the competition is intense in the T20 side. After being in and out of the T20 side, Kuldeep seemed to have established himself with the 2024 World Cup win. However, a long lay-off due to groin injury kept him out since then. Leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy came in and performed impressively against South Africa (12 wickets in 4 games) and England (14 wickets in 5 games). Kuldeep now faces tough competition from Chakravarthy for a spot in the playing XI. The most challenging part is when you are targetted by the opposition for a chink in your game. After a brilliant show in South Africa, where he hit two hundreds, Samson's T20 career seemed to have taken off. Against England at home, however, fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood gave him a tough time, cramping him up with short-pitched bowling. He is no more a certainty in the playing XI with Gill likely to be preferred as opener in the Asia Cup. When he lost his T20 place after the 2023 series against Australia, Shreyas Iyer also was seen as having difficulty putting away short bowling. The 30-year-old Mumbai player worked on it and batted impressively against fast bowlers in the ICC Champions Trophy and the last IPL, but he couldn't convince the selectors to be picked ahead of young Tilak Varma for Asia Cup. More says the selectors mainly go with the call of the captain and coach. 'It is a good headache (having a vast talent pool). It is not just the Asia Cup, there's future planning as well. The important thing is what the coach and captain wants – 95 to 99 per cent they are given the players they want. That is what goes inside the selection meeting room. It is a pressure job. You get criticism here and there but you can't please everyone.'
