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IPL 2025 grand finale: Fans to get new champion in RCB or PBKS on June 3
As the sun sets on an stop and start IPL 2025 season, all eyes now turn to the grand finale: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs Punjab Kings (PBKS) — a contest set to produce a new IPL champion, set to unfold on June 3 at 7:30 PM IST.
Both teams, hungry for their maiden IPL title, have defied expectations and crafted memorable campaigns filled with grit, brilliance, and belief. The stage is set at the Narendra Modi Stadium, and anticipation couldn't be higher.
Punjab Kings, once known for their inconsistency, have found a new gear in 2025. Under the fearless leadership of Shreyas Iyer and the tactical sharpness of their backroom staff-led by Australian legend Ricky Ponting, PBKS have delivered clinical performances when it mattered most.
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar, speaking on Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live, credited the fearless mindset shown by players like Josh Inglis, whose aggressive assault against Mumbai Indians' spearhead Jasprit Bumrah shifted the semifinal's momentum.
"Inglis didn't play the reputation — he played the ball. He broke the fear factor around Bumrah, which was a huge mental lift for the dugout,' Bangar noted.
Punjab's Qualifier 2 triumph saw the captain Iyer produce one of the standout knocks of the season — an innings hailed by the legendary AB de Villiers as a "masterclass under pressure."
AB de Villiers stands by Hardik Pandya amid MI exit
The fallout from Mumbai Indians' exit has seen captain Hardik Pandya under heavy scrutiny. But de Villiers was quick to shift focus back to the cricketing brilliance on display.
"They were outplayed by quality cricket, not poor execution. Shreyas and Inglis made the difference. You can't fault Hardik for being outclassed on the day — that's the beauty of the game," he emphasised. MI vs PBKS Qualifier 2 full scorecard
Sanjay Bangar echoed similar sentiments, highlighting how one moment — Trent Boult's dropped catch of Nehal Wadhera — shifted the semifinal's dynamics, underlining how high-pressure games often turn on fine margins. RCB and Virat Kohli eye maiden IPL title
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured their spot in the IPL 2025 final with a dominant performance in Qualifier 1, defeating table-toppers Punjab Kings by 8 wickets. This victory marks RCB's fourth appearance in an IPL final and their first in nine years. Coincidentally, the last time they made the final—and finished in the top two—was back in 2016.
Led by Rajat Patidar, RCB's road to the final has been defined by consistency and resilience. Reflecting on the team's journey, RCB's Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, said: 'We're incredibly proud of how the team has approached the season — with courage, calmness, and a strong intent to dominate. These qualities highlight the character we've built as a unit. While we've hit a few key targets along the way, this final is the one that truly counts.'
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Indian Express
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‘Karnataka govt learnt about the first stampede death at 3.10 pm. Still went ahead with felicitation ceremony': JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy
Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy Friday claimed that the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government went ahead with the felicitation ceremony of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players despite learning about the first stampede death outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium at around 3.10 pm on Wednesday. Speaking at a joint press meet held by the BJP and the JD(S) in Bengaluru, Union Steel and Heavy Industries Minister Kumaraswamy said, 'Still they (the government) went ahead with the felicitation ceremony (at the Vidhana Soudha) and allowed a subsequent event at Chinnaswamy Stadium, stretching the celebrations till 6 pm.' He questioned why DNA Entertainment Networks, an event management company, on behalf of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), proposed two events – one at Vidhana Soudha and the other at Chinnaswamy Stadium. 'Despite the police department denying permission to hold a victory parade and limiting the event to just one location, the state government went ahead to toy with the situation,' Kumaraswamy further said. The JD(S) leader also slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for taking his grandson to Janardhana Hotel later in the evening on Wednesday. 'The chief minister and his grandson visited the Janardhana Hotel to relish masala dosa and basundi when people were dying due to the stampede, and their families were grieving their losses. The CM doesn't have an iota of shame,' he said. The former Karnataka chief minister criticised the government for suspending Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda. 'Suspending the Bengaluru city police commissioner is nothing but scapegoating him, and to cover their tracks. The Congress high command should, in fact, remove both the chief minister and deputy chief minister from their posts for their heinous crime,' he said. The stampede occurred on Wednesday, when a sea of fans gathered outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium to attend a felicitation event for the RCB following their Indian Premier League (IPL) championship victory – their first since the league's inception in 2008. Around three lakh fans gathered at the gates, far exceeding the stadium's official capacity of 35,000. Entry for fans was restricted to gates 6, 7, 8, 21, and 1 out of the 21 gates at the stadium. Responding to Kumaraswamy's allegations, Siddaramaiah said: 'The BJP is just doing politics, we won't do politics. Those who are responsible and those who didn't do their job, we have taken action against them.' The Karnataka government Thursday suspended Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda and several other senior police officers in connection with the stampede.
Hans India
39 minutes ago
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Social Media Uproar Follows Suspension of Bengaluru Top Cops
Bengaluru: Bengaluru police suspension, RCB victory parade stampede, political scapegoating, social media outrage, Karnataka government accountability, police governance crisisA wave of outrage has swept across social media platforms following the Congress-led Karnataka government's decision to suspend Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and four other senior officers after the RCB victory parade stampede. The incident, which claimed 11 lives and injured over 30 people outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, has sparked a heated debate over accountability, governance, and the scapegoating of honest police officers. The stampede occurred during a felicitation event celebrating RCB's IPL 2025 victory, organised by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), RCB, and event management firm DNA Entertainment Networks. Reports indicate that over two lakh fans gathered, leading to chaos due to poor crowd management. Despite warnings from police officials about potential risks, the event proceeded, allegedly under political pressure, resulting in a disaster that has left the city reeling. In the aftermath, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the suspension of Commissioner Dayananda, Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Vikash Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shekhar H, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cubbon Park) Balakrishna C, and Inspector Girish A of Cubbon Park police station. The government cited 'dereliction of duty' as the reason, but this move has been met with fierce criticism online, with many accusing the administration of using the police as a scapegoat to deflect blame from its own failures. Netizens expressed outrage with one post labelling it "one of the darkest days in the history of the Karnataka Police." The suspension was criticised as an act of political cowardice, with accusations that the government was shielding reckless ministers who ignored police warnings about the event, prioritising its "fragile political image" over integrity and accountability. The sentiment was widely shared, with users describing Dayananda as a "people-centric, transparent, and accountable" officer who was unfairly scapegoated for the tragedy. Many called for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to resign, lamenting the state's corruption and expressing shame over the suspension of an efficient officer. Several hashtag trended as a show of solidarity for the suspended cops, reflecting widespread public frustration with the government's handling of the crisis. The controversy has also drawn sharp criticism from within the police fraternity. Former Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao slammed the suspensions, stating they deflect attention from government failures. He directly blamed the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister for the incident. Rao's comments have fuelled further outrage online, with users questioning why the government, RCB, and KSCA have not faced similar scrutiny. "Who received RCB at HAL Airport? DKS… Who did photo ops at Chinnaswamy Stadium with RCB team and trophy knowing fully well that people had lost their lives? DKS… Who is being targeted?" a user wrote on social media platform X, referring to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. Many users argue that the government's involvement in facilitating the event, despite knowing the risks, makes it equally culpable.
The Hindu
an hour ago
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Celebration to mourning: A 24-hour emotional rollercoaster for RCB fans
Within 24 hours between June 3 and 4, the mood of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans, who were celebrating the team breaking the 18-year long title drought at the Indian Premier League (IPL), went from euphoria to mourning as the victory celebrations outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium turned into a tragedy which claimed 11 lives and left at least 56 injured. 'We waited 18 long years to celebrate this trophy. This moment meant everything to us. But I never imagined it would come with such a heavy price,' said Shilpa Pradeep, a fan of the team from Bengaluru. 'What should have been pure joy turned into a heartbreaking tragedy. No one expected things to spiral like this. The confusion and chaos around the post-victory event made it hard for fans to know what was happening or what to do.' No time to celebrate Vishwas M., another fan, had travelled to Ahmedabad to watch the final match. By the time he reached home, the mood around the victory had changed. 'We could neither celebrate our victory nor even share the photos or videos we took during the final match on social media, as we felt it was not the appropriate time to celebrate. All this while RCB kept saying that they have the biggest fan base. It is such an irony that it was the same fans who had to die.' The 18th edition of IPL was one of RCB's best seasons ever with the team registering a streak of wins in away-games and with at least nine different players bagging man of the match awards. The fans opine that the stampede over shadowed the team's achievements. 'RCB had played consistently this season with every player chipping-in unlike other seasons when the team was heavily dependent on a few. Now, no one is talking about it as the stampede, rightfully so, is being discussed more than the games or the season,' Mr. Vishwas said. Fans also expressed their disappointment in how the victory celebrations were hurriedly planned and blamed all parties involved. They said that it would have been wiser if the event had happened a day or two later with due preparations. Could have been postponed 'It seems like there was not enough time for the officials to properly prepare for such a massive crowd of 2-3 lakh people. Given the circumstances, the whole event was handled very poorly. Nobody even considered postponing it for a day or two to get things in order. The RCB management is also at fault for rushing the preparations. The government had no business hosting the players or celebrating them at Vidhana Soudha, especially considering this was a private tournament with private teams. When the common people could see the event was going to be overcrowded, how did the authorities not anticipate that?' asked Shrisha Kunjoor, a die-hard fan of the team who had also travelled to Ahmedabad to watch the final match.
