This Was A 'Deadly' Welcome For IPL Champions: World Cup Winner
Legendary Indian wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani, a hero of India's 1983 World Cup victory, termed the death of 11 Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans during the victory celebrations in Bengaluru as a "deadly welcome" for the newly crowned IPL champions and questioned the change in nature of fandom from his playing days. The RCB management and the Karnataka government organised a victory celebration at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, but the local authorities didn't envisage the massive turnout which led to a stampede, killing 11 people.
"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'.
Kirmani, who played 88 Tests for India, felt if the RCB team was to be felicitated, it could have been done in a proper manner with enough time for proper arrangements. "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 also questioned whether the same fans, who are crazy about RCB, would turn up if Karnataka won the Ranji Trophy. He feels that nature of fandom have become crazier.
"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."
Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Bengaluru Stampede: 5 cops suspended; 2 KSCA officials resign; CM raises compensation to ₹25 Lakh
Bengaluru Stampede: Bengaluru skies lit up with firecrackers on Tuesday, June 3 — as if Diwali had come to the city early — after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched the IPL trophy for the first time in 18 years. Within a day, however, the celebrations spiralled into a tragic stampede killing 11, leading to the suspension of five senior police officers, transfer of one Karnataka government official. As per the latest developments, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has increased the compensation for the families of those who lost their lives in the Chinnaswamy Stadium tragedy to ₹ 25 lakh each from the earlier ₹ 10 lakh per family. Here's what we know so far: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's political secretary K Govindaraj was suspended, while Hemanth Nimbalkar, Karnataka's Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) was transferred. Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda was among five senior police officers suspended in connection with the incident, three of whom are IPS officers. Fans stand next to abandoned shoes and a fallen barrier following a stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru Not just the Karnataka government officials, but RCB heads also bore the brunt of the deadly stampede that injured over 40 others after fans thronged outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, June 4. On Friday, a city court remanded four individuals — including Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Head of Marketing and Revenue, Nikhil Sosale — to 14 days in judicial custody in connection with the fatal stampede. Apart from transferring officials, the Karnataka government on Saturday ordered a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation into the stampede case. As part of the investigation, CID officials visited the office of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to gather preliminary information on the matter, ANI reported. As per ESPNCricinfo, top senior officials of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam, have resigned from their posts, citing "moral responsibility" for the stampede. They submitted the resignations to the president of the board, Raghuram Bhat. The brutal stampede also left its footprints on social media. Following the tragedy, angry netizens, who were once all praise for Virat Kohli, demanded that the cricket icon be put behind bars. Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli (L) holds the Indian Premier League trophy aloft alongside teammates outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as they celebrate with fans winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) title, in Bengaluru on June 4, 2025. At least 11 people were killed in a stampede on June 4, as a tightly packed crowd celebrated the victory of their home cricket team in the Indian city of Bengaluru, the state's chief minister said. Social media users even clashed with each other over #ArrestKohli trending on X, as many users claimed the stampede was because of the organisers' failure.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Rugby Premier League: Kalinga Black Tigers unveil jersey and mascot
BHUBANESWAR: The Kalinga Black Tigers (KBT), one of the Rugby Premier League (RPL) founding teams, unveiled its jersey and mascot 'Paika' here at Kalinga Stadium on Saturday. The RPL, world's first franchise-based Rugby 7s league, is set to begin on June 15 at the Andheri Sports Complex (Mumbai Football Arena, MFA). Besides Kalinga Black Tigers, the other teams are Bengaluru Bravehearts, Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes and Mumbai Dreamers. Backed by Hunch Ventures, an investment firm deeply rooted in Odisha, KBT embodies a broader vision for the state's development and recognition on the national stage. The team composition will be 13 players including five overseas players in a team and the 7-a-side match will be 16 minutes (22 minutes in total including breaks), which will be played in four quarters. Rugby India president Rahul Bose, who was present during the occasion, said, "This is a league that's been six years in the making, but we wanted to do everything right. Thanks to World Rugby, who gave us a 15-day window in which no international rugby 7s would be played anywhere in the world. We are in the process of introducing Women Rugby Premier League in the future." Talking about Odisha's contribution towards Indian rugby, Rahul added, "the State played a vital role for the development of various sports in our country. The rugby teams of the state always made podium finishes in the national tournament. It gives the RPL Governing council great happiness that the league has a team from the state of Odisha." The team has lofty ambitions ahead of the inaugural season. Head coach Mike Friday felt that this league will be a good platform for the local players to evolve. "We will get two weeks of training season with the overseas players. It will provide ample opportunities for the Indian players to grow and learn the international theme of rugby sports." Odisha Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo graced the occasion as the chief guest. Odisha Rugby Football Association (ORFA) president Priyadarshi Mishra, ORFA secretary Upendra Kumar Mohanty, Founder of Hunch Ventures and KBT Co-owner Karanpal Singh, KBT assistant coach Rajeev Nath and some of the KBT players were also present. RPL Format Teams: 6 Venue: 1 (Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai) Matchdays: 15 Matches: 34 Match Duration: 22 Weekdays: 2 matches per night Weekends: 3 matches per night Tournament Dates: June 15-29 Live on Star Sports Network
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Bengaluru stampede: Open invitation without preparation is criminal negligence, says MP Tejasvi Surya
Bengaluru: Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya criticized the decision to hold an open invitation event at Chinnaswamy Stadium without logistical preparation as "criminal negligence" that culminated in the loss of 11 innocent lives. Drawing a comparison with the 2011 World Cup victory celebrations in Mumbai, Surya said despite the participation of over 15 lakh people there, no such tragedy occurred. That was because of better crowd management and planning in Mumbai, he pointed out. Surya lashed out at what he described as an "egotistical and irresponsible" attempt by the state's top leadership, including CM Siddaramiah and DCM DK Shivakumar, to get involved in RCB celebrations and "bask in undeserved glory". He alleged that despite being fully aware of the massive crowd that would gather for the event, the govt failed to make adequate safety arrangements. "It is not cricketers or fans who are to blame. The state govt, particularly the CM and DCM, orchestrated a scenario that led to this tragic stampede," Surya said. He urged the RCB franchise to show solidarity with its fanbase. "Even though there is no legal obligation, morally and humanely, the franchise should come forward to support and compensate the victims' families," Surya said.
