Mo Bobat wants RCB to honour Bengaluru stampede victims: Part of our heritage

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) director Mo Bobat has spoken with deep emotion after the tragic stampede that occurred during the team’s IPL 2025 victory celebrations. What was meant to be a joyful event at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium turned into heartbreak when eleven fans lost their lives and several others were injured.

RCB moved quickly to offer help, announcing Rs 10 lakh as compensation for each of the deceased families. The franchise also launched an “RCB Cares” fund to support injured fans and provide medical assistance. These steps were taken to show that the club stands firmly with its supporters in a moment of grief.

‘Fans have waited 18 years’

Bobat, while addressing the incident, said that those who lost their lives have become “a part of our heritage and history.” He stressed that their stories will now remain part of the team’s heritage and must always be honoured.

“Cricket and the IPL is so much about passion and enjoyment, and one of our biggest motivators is our fans. We talked during the competition that we want to win it for our fans. They've been the patient ones. Some of us are new. These fans have waited 18 years, so we wanted to do it for them, and for some of them to have lost their lives just feels incredibly sad,” Bobat said in an interview with Cricbuzz.

“We look forward to being able to recognise those people and their families. Their stories become a part of our history now. Every sports team has a history, and it has a heritage. What they've experienced becomes a part of our heritage and history, and we have to honour them,” Bobat added.

Chinnaswamy hit with huge blow

The Chinnaswamy Stadium, in the meantime, has been removed as a venue for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup following a judicial commission report, commissioned after the stampede, which deemed the stadium “fundamentally unsafe” for large-scale events.

Consequently, Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium has been confirmed by the ICC as the replacement venue for up to five matches, including key fixtures such as a semi-final and potentially the final.

RCB captured their first-ever IPL title in 18 seasons back in June after defeating Punjab Kings by six runs in the final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.