India head coach Gautam Gambhir expressed concerns over the tragic stampede that claimed 11 lives and injured 47 others during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 victory celebrations on Tuesday evening. The incident, which occurred outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, has sparked a nationwide debate on crowd control and the need for large-scale public celebrations.
Addressing the media, Gambhir made his stance clear, saying such events should never come at the cost of human life. “I was always a big believer that we need not have roadshows. I believed in this even when I was playing. I said the same thing after we won the World Cup in 2007 – that we should not have roadshows. Lives are more important, and I will continue to say that in the future,” the former World Cup-winning opener said.
Gambhir urged organisers to re-evaluate the format of public celebrations, suggesting more controlled alternatives. “In the future, we should be a little more aware while planning these roadshows. We could consider hosting such celebrations indoors. We shouldn’t have done that. Fans do get excited, fanbases do get emotional – but nothing is more important than human lives,” he said.
Strong in his conviction, Gambhir added: “You can’t, at any point, lose 11 people. For me, the roadshow should not have happened.”
