Legendary India all-rounder Kapil Dev made a strong statement on the tragic stampede incident in Bengaluru that took place during RCB’s IPL 2025 victory celebrations on Wednesday (June 4).

The incident saw 11 people losing their lives and 33 getting injured outside the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Speaking at an event, Kapil said "lives are more important than celebration" and advised the teams and other stakeholders to take proper precautions while organising events of such magnitude in future.

"I feel very bad about that. I think we have to learn from each other. Next time something like this (victory parade) happens, people should be more conscious. People do make a mistake," Kapil told PTI on the sidelines of a corporate event organised by the Arche Global Private Limited.

"Mistake should not be to that scale where you are having fun and you lose lives. In the future, if any team wins, keep it calm. Lives are more important than celebration. Let's put it that way," he added.

RCB were supposed to hold a victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium. Throughout the day, there was no clarity on whether the parade would took place, as initially, the Bengaluru traffic police denied permission, citing that there might be too much chaos.

As soon as the Rajat Patidar-led side reached Vidhana Soudha to meet the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a stampede was reported outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Thousands had assembled to celebrate RCB's maiden IPL title win. However, the police failed to manage the crowd, leading to a stampede-like situation outside the ground.

On Thursday (June 5), the Bengaluru-based franchise issued a statement to express its deep anguish over the tragic incident.

“We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents that have come to light through media reports regarding public gatherings all over Bengaluru in anticipation of the team’s arrival this afternoon. The safety and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us," RCB stated.

“RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extend our heartfelt condolences to the affected families. Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our program, and followed, the guidance and advice of the local administration. We urge all our supporters to please stay safe,” the statement added.

RCB’s victory celebrations inside the Chinnaswamy Stadium lasted for half an hour as Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar delivered short speeches, thanking the crowd for their constant support. The entire squad then took a lap around the ground to rejoice the title win.

In the IPL 2025 Final, RCB defeated Punjab Kings by six runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium to end their 18-year long wait for the elusive title win.