'The Silence wasn't Absence. It was Grief': RCB posts emotional message almost 3 months after devastating stampede during IPL 2025 victory celebrations

RCB in a post said that they were left heartbroken after the events of June 4. They announced that in the last few months, they are building something for the fans which is not just a response to the tragedy.

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Liam Livingstone, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Suyash Sharma

RCB's Liam Livingstone (center R) holds the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy as he celebrates with teammates at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 4, 2025, a day after the team's victory in the tournament's final cricket match.

Story Highlights:

RCB prematurely announced victory parade without prior permissions from the Bengaluru police.

The disorganisation led to death of 11 fans and left over 50 injured.

RCB said that their silence on the matter wasn't absence, but grief.

Reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) posted a heartfelt message for their fans, nearly three months after the unfortunate stampede during their victory celebrations. Less than 24 hours after their win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, RCB had victory celebrations at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. However, in haste, there was lack of organisation which led to a stampede that claimed lives of 11 fans and left over 50 injured. 

On August 28, RCB posted a message for their fans sharing their grief for the fans who lost their lives on a day they were supposed to meet their heroes. The franchise said that the reason behind their silence was grief. 

“Dear 12th Man Army, this is our heartfelt letter to you!” RCB posted on social media. 

 

 

“It’s been close to three months since we last posted here.

 

 

“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...

 

 

"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."

 

 

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The aftermath of stampede

Following the stampede, the Karnataka government blamed the Bengaluru-based franchise for the unfortunate incident. Last month, the Central Administrative Tribunal held RCB prima facie responsible for the events that transpired on June 4. The CAT blamed RCB for the gathering of three to five lakh people without "appropriate permission or consent from the police". 

ALSO READ: Dhruv Jurel told by selectors to skip Duleep Trophy quarterfinal due to this reason; Riyan Parag leads East Zone as Abhimanyu Easwaran catches flu

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