Nearly three months after a tragic Chinnaswamy stadium stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Indian Premier League (IPL)-winning celebrations that killed 11 and left several injured, the franchise returned for the first time with an initiative, aimed at fans.
After winning their maiden IPL title in 18 years on June 3 in Ahmedabad, chaos broke outside the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru the next day, as thousands of fans gathered only to have a glimpse of their superstars. But little did anyone knew that it would turn into a fatal evening.
In an emotional social media post, RCB promised to ‘honour, heal and stand beside fans’. “Dear 12th Man Army, this is our heartfelt letter to you! It’s been close to three months since we last posted here,” RCB said.
“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. 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…” the Bengaluru-based franchise added.
Bengaluru loses Women’s World Cup matches
Blaming the RCB, Karnataka State Cricket Association and DNA Entertainment for the stampede, the Chinnaswamy stadium was deemed unfit to hold large public events by Justice Cunha Commission in its report. It also stated that the stadium’s “design and structure” are inherently “unsuitable and unsafe” for mass gatherings.
As a result, the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 matches, supposed to be hosted by the Chinnaswamy stadium, were shifted to Navi Mumbai and Guwahati as Bengaluru was stripped off from the tournament schedule. This also puts the T20 World Cup 2026, Women’s Premier League and IPL 2026 matches in doubt. India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the T20 World Cup next year.
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