"But their celebrations have been a lot less frenetic" - Sunil Gavaskar's stunning take on stampede during RCB's IPL 2025 victory celebrations

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has broken his silence on the stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebrations on June 4. The 75-year-old believes the franchise's 18-year-long wait for glory made the fans emotional, adding that the celebrations could’ve been less 'frenetic.'

The cricketer-turned-commentator also shared his condolences with the bereaved families. The remarks came after the tragic incident outside the sporting venue led to 11 deaths and dozens of injuries.

Meanwhile, Gavaskar credited RCB for winning all eight of their away games, including the IPL 2025 final against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Ahmedabad on June 3.

Gavaskar wrote in his Mid-Day column on Sunday (June 8):

“If RCB had won the Trophy in the first few years, there would not have been this outpouring of emotion as happened after the long wait of 18 years. Other teams have won but their celebrations have been a lot less frenetic maybe because their fans didn’t have to wait this long. The slogan ‘Ee saala cup naamde’ seemed to be like a millstone around the necks of the team. This year, when that slogan was barely heard, the team played some superb cricket, most of it away from their fans.” “They won every single game they played away, which is a new record in the IPL. No wonder the home fans wanted to give them a special ovation. Heartfelt condolences to those who lost their loved ones. Prayers of the fans can change fortunes, and there’s no doubt that the prayers of their loved ones made a contribution to bringing that elusive Cup to Bengaluru,” he added.

The legendary batter further backed the fans for their love for the franchise and players, who gave them joy by winning the IPL trophy. He wrote:

“What a tragedy? The loss of lives due to a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium is heartbreaking indeed. All that those people wanted was a glimpse of the players who had given them so much joy and happiness over the years, especially in the last two months. The IPL Trophy, which they kept hoping would be theirs every year but never did, was finally coming to them after a wait of 18 years.” “It was totally understandable for their joy to know no bounds and they wanted to show it to their heroes. Maybe even see them up close, maybe even touch them, maybe even get a quick photo with them. Haven’t we all been fans of someone before and perhaps still are and want to see them and have a brief hello and then perhaps a photo with them?” Gavaskar concluded.

“It’s far better to go by the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy” – Sunil Gavaskar unimpressed with raw talent in IPL 2025

Sunil Gavaskar further expressed his disappointment in the raw Indian talent in IPL 2025. The 75-year-old reckoned that the players should be picked based on their performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. He added that the youngsters need to deliver when it matters the most.

In the same column, Gavaskar wrote:

“This year’s IPL proved once again that relying on the performances of the state T20 leagues is not the way to go into the auction. It’s far better to go by the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy deeds as these games are a lot more competitive than those in the state T20 leagues. Also, don’t go overboard with what one sees in the Under-19 tournaments. The level of competition there, is way below that in the IPL and so many of the youngsters not used to so much money lose the motivation and are quite content just to be around rather than perform.”

He continued:

“What is needed is to see when the batting and bowling performances came. What was the situation when the batters scored and the bowlers took the wickets for, at the end of the day, in the IPL it is going to be totally different. Here’s where temperament will come into play. The runs and the wickets have to come when it matters.” “Some will justify scoring 15 in five deliveries as it’s a strike rate of 300 but maybe it was important for the side that they batted another 15 deliveries and got 40 and took the team to a win. Hitting a six off the first ball one faces and getting out the next ball does give a strike rate of 300 but how does that help the side? Many of the so-called six hitters in the state T20 leagues came a cropper in the IPL and were unable to take their teams to a win,” Gavaskar added.

The action will now shift to England for a five-match Test series, which begins in Leeds on June 20. Shubman Gill will lead Team India as they commence their 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

Edited by Parag Jain