Last June, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru brought home the IPL cup after 17 years of almost-misses, setting the city afire with jubilant celebrations. But in that moment, when it felt like nothing could go wrong after a much-awaited victory, a deadly stampede at the gates of Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed the lives of 11 people, including two minors, trying to enter the hastily organised celebrations. Several major games which would have otherwise happened at the stadium like the ICC Women’s World Cup, the Women’s Premiere League and the currently underway ICC Men’s T20 have all been unable to use the iconic stadium. Speculation also swirled that RCB would move out of its home base to new venues.
With confirmation that the stadium will open its doors to fans again for the IPL – with several new safety measures in place – CE speaks to Bengaluru’s cricket lovers asking them if they are ready to reclaim Chinnaswamy Stadium again?
As young cricketers, experiencing the excitement at Chinnaswamy Stadium means everything to us. It’s a dream stage where all the legends have played and history has been created. It inspires us to be better and stay disciplined. Without ICC matches happening in the stadium over the last few months, a lot of BCCI under-19 and under-23 state games were happening there. When we played, it was completely silent and there was a feeling of emptiness without a crowd, despite our excitement to be playing at the stadium. I’m happy that the stadium is opening to crowds again because experiencing a live match there is something great.
For every player, playing in Chinnaswamy Stadium is a dream. Especially for the blind women’s cricket team, after they won the World Cup last year, we want to play one match there and fulfil the dreams of all our girls. Last year’s tragedy happened because it was difficult to control a sudden, large crowd and such incidents can happen anywhere. Normally, security and protocol-wise, the stadium takes care of everything very well for both domestic and international matches, so there is no worry or anxiety. We are feeling positive about the reopening.
With [proposed] AI-powered cameras and structural changes within the KSCA, things should be better. But technology alone is not enough, civic sense is equally important. I would be definitely comfortable attending a match right now. I have faith in the government, the police and the organisers. A lot of effort has gone into bringing matches back to Bengaluru after addressing several concerns. I believe the authorities are better prepared this time. I’m excited to witness the atmosphere, the crowd and the energy during the comeback match. The chants of ‘RCB! RCB!’ will never change, regardless
of results.
I hope enough has been done for crowd management and safety. We’re excellent at building hype, but not always as good at organising exits. I want to believe lessons were learned, but I’ll truly believe it when I see smooth entry, smooth exit, and zero stampede-style drama. Overcrowding and traffic are probably my biggest concerns. Inside the stadium is one thing, but outside, its survival mode. Bengaluru traffic on a normal day is already a sport, on match day it turns into an endurance event. Security arrangement matters, of course, but crowd behaviour is the real variable. If people stay calm and act responsibly, everything works. Attending the first match feels like a stress test. I might wait for one game. Let them iron out the chaos, fix the bottlenecks and check how the crowd behaves. Second or third match? I’ll be there screaming like I own
the team.
What worries me is crowd control at high-voltage games, especially of RCB’s, with people all over the state coming to watch them play. I know safety measures have been improved, but I will still be concerned while the initial matches are being played. I will not be 100 per cent comfortable attending a match until I see how the crowd control is being done for the initial matches. Trust will build after the first few games are played. However, I’m still very excited to see how RCB sustains the momentum after winning the cup last year, the crowd, the red sea, the chants and the sixes that are going to be hit. The night matches, especially, are beautiful there.
You can already feel the excitement in the air. At the same time, there’s a small sense of concern whenever such huge crowds gather to witness the match and celebrate their beloved cricketers. We’ve all seen what happened when RCB won — moments like that remind us how important safety and proper management are. By safety concerns, I don’t just mean what happened last time. It’s a reminder that responsibility doesn’t lie only with the government or the management. I truly hope the entire management plans with stronger security and better crowd control this time. As much as I love the electrifying atmosphere of a live match, I personally prefer watching the game from home.