Varying opinions are emerging from within the Board of Control for Cricket in India hours after a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru claimed the lives of multiple Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans who had gathered to cheer their team's maiden IPL championship win.

While BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla told media persons that it was not anticipated that a stampede would happen outside the stadium, the cricket body's Secretary Devajit Saikia admitted that there were lapses and that organisers should have planned the event better.

The stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium left 11 people feared dead and over 50 injured. The incident occurred as thousands of fans gathered for a felicitation event to mark RCB's maiden IPL 2025 trophy win.

The overwhelming crowd, eager to catch a glimpse of their champion team, created chaotic scenes at multiple entry points around the stadium. Police were reportedly forced to use a lathi-charge to control the surging masses, as desperate fans attempted to scale fences and walls. The injured were rushed to local hospitals.

Following the tragedy, BCCI vice-president and Congress MP Rajeev Shukla told media persons, "This can happen in any state and the ruling party should not be blamed for it. It should not be politicised. If this happens in a BJP-ruled state, we should not blame them. The crowd was huge, I spoke to the franchise, they also did not think that such a huge crowd would come and this incident happened suddenly. Efforts are being made to provide maximum help to the families of the deceased."

He further said, "The (Karnataka) government did stop the roadshow in order to avoid stampede or any such situation. But, it was not anticipated that a stampede would happen outside the stadium. Everybody should work together on the damage control"

However, Saikia said, "It is very unfortunate. This is a negative side of popularity. People are crazy for their cricketers. The organisers should have planned it better. My deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. I wish early recovery of the injured."

Saikia pointed to potential organizational failures, stating, "When one organises a victory celebration of this magnitude, proper precautions, safety and security measures need to be taken. There have been some lapses somewhere." He lamented the tragic turn of events, calling it an "anti-climax" after a "glorious ending to the IPL."

He drew comparisons to past, well-managed celebrations, such as Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL victory last year and India's T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados, where massive crowds were handled without incident due to coordinated efforts between police and local authorities.

Saikia also noted the safe management of 120,000 spectators at the IPL final in Ahmedabad just yesterday, attributing it to the BCCI's dedicated planning and coordination with law enforcement.