Gautam Gambhir Expresses Condolences After Bengaluru Stampede Ahead of England Tour
Gautam Gambhir's Heartfelt Condolences
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 5: Prior to the Indian Cricket Team's upcoming tour to England, head coach Gautam Gambhir shared his sympathies for the families affected by the tragic stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. He stated, "I have never supported roadshows."
The unfortunate event unfolded as thousands of fans gathered to celebrate the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory on Wednesday.
Gambhir emphasized his long-standing stance against roadshows, recalling his sentiments from 2007: "The safety of individuals is far more crucial than such events. I firmly believe we should avoid roadshows in the future and consider hosting celebrations within stadiums instead. It is heartbreaking what transpired yesterday, and my thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives," he remarked during a press conference before the team's departure.
He further added, "We must act responsibly. Every life is significant. If we are not prepared to conduct a roadshow safely, we should refrain from doing so. Losing 11 lives is unacceptable at any time."
The stampede resulted in the deaths of eleven individuals and left many others injured as approximately 300,000 fans gathered for RCB's IPL victory celebration. In response, the Karnataka Police have initiated an FIR against the Karnataka Cricket Board Administrative Committee and RCB, among others, regarding the incident.
The Indian team is set to tour England from June to August 2025, with matches scheduled at various iconic venues including Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), and The Oval (London).
This series marks India's first bilateral engagement following the recent retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket.
India's Test squad for the England series includes: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.