What happened in Bengaluru is a wake-up call. No celebration of sport should ever come at the cost of human life, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
Every match in the Indian Premier League was a lesson for cricketers and fans alike.
It teaches how to learn from mistakes and what it takes to win matches.
Even after the IPL ends, there are lessons to be learned -- not just from the games themselves, but from events beyond the field.
The tragic stampede during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team's victory celebration on Wednesday, June 4, which resulted in 11 deaths and over 50 injuries, is a stark example.
Any victory celebration is planned taking into consideration various aspects of sport, the fan following, and the venue.
Unfortunately, the organisers of this event underestimated the passion for cricket and the fervent following for the team.
This was not just a team's victory -- it was a victory for the entire city, one they had waited 18 years to celebrate.
Many may consider people to be irrational to gather in such huge numbers. But, as it is often said, cricket is a religion in India.
This is a cricket-mad nation where millions turn to the game as an escape from the hardships of life. Tragically, this incident has cast a somber shadow over RCB's historic win.
I have reported many historic matches from the M Chinnaswamy stadium.
Each time, despite the sea of spectators, authorities would ensure a smooth entry due to their meticulous planning.
It is believed this tragedy occurred when fans attempted to enter through a single gate, triggering a stampede.
Watching fans being lathi-charged just for showing up to support their heroes is disturbing.
Authorities must ensure fans are never physically harmed. Cricket is what it is today because of them.
When will India learn that just as the customer is king in business, the fan is the king in sports? We have witnessed many stampedes over the years -- isn't it time every state prioritises crowd management?
During this tragedy, emergency services struggled to reach the victims, exposing serious flaws in disaster response planning.
A dedicated body must be established to ensure adequate entry and exit points at such events. Respect for human life must be paramount.
Some may ask why people didn't walk away when the crowd became overwhelming.
The answer lies in lack of public education on safety protocols and the need for responsible behaviour in mass gatherings.
No event should be approved unless there is evidence of meticulous planning and coordination between the organisers, law enforcement officials, and civic authorities.
A failure in this coordination is what would have led to this tragedy.
Stampedes at sports events are not unique to India.
In 2001, at the Accra sports stadium in Ghana, 126 people died after police fired tear gas to control an unruly crowd during a match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.
In the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium, 97 fans were crushed to death following overcrowding in a standing terrace.
This was the reason behind all stadiums in UK being converted to all seater stadiums.
In 1971, during an Old Firm football match between Rangers and Celtic, a stampede on a stairway killed 66 people.
In 2015 during a football match between Zamalek vs ENPPI in Cairo, ticketless fans tried to force entry, which resulted in 25 deaths.
In 2010, during a World Cup qualifying match at Abidjan stadium in the Ivory Coast, overcrowding led to 19 fatalities.
Cricket matches involving India and Pakistan have also seen crowd unrest, particularly in Kolkata, though thankfully without major loss of life -- largely due to better crowd control.
It once pained me to see mounted police whipping cricket fans outside Eden Gardens, but I consoled myself that it was meant to prevent tragedy.
What happened in Bengaluru is a wake-up call. Any event that draws masses -- whether cricket-related or not -- requires thoughtful planning, preparation, and above all, respect for human life.
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff
© 2025