The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have issued a statement for the first time since June 5, one day after a stampede claimed 11 lives and injured 56 others during RCB's IPL 2025 title celebrations. RCB ended a long wait of winning their maiden IPL title on the night of June 3, when at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, they defeated Punjab Kings in the final by six runs to finally lift the trophy after 19 long years. However, less than 24 hours later, RCB's joy turned into despair when chaos broke out in Bengaluru, outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium, leading to a stampede that claimed human lives.
84 days after the incident took the entire nation by storm, during which multiple complaints and arrests were made, RCB penned a heartfelt note, teasing their initiative 'RCB cares'.
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"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," RCB posted on their X handle.
"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.
{{/usCountry}}"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.
{{/usCountry}}To share. To stand with you. To walk forward, together. To continue being the pride of Karnataka. RCB CARES. And we always will."
The stampede that shook the nation
What should have been a historic day for RCB turned into a nightmare on the streets outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. As thousands thronged to hail the team's long-awaited IPL triumph, a stampede broke out, claiming 11 lives and injuring more than 50. Inside, the celebrations roared on, but grief unfolded outside, the contrast leaving fans across the country outraged.
RCB's eventual promises of ₹10 lakh to the bereaved families and the launch of the 'RCB CARES' fund for the injured came only after mounting criticism. To many, these gestures felt less like compassion and more like damage control in the face of public anger.
The Karnataka government directly blamed the franchise for the lapses that led to the tragedy. And while RCB's single-line condolence message immediately after the incident was quickly forgotten, their three months of silence cut deeper, leaving supporters to feel abandoned in their darkest hour.