A long wait of 18 years just to watch it in their own city has costed the lives of at least 11 young fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. A total mismanagement from the nonsensical crowd that went to welcome the champion team not only caused themselves trouble but also dragged the organizations' name for being apathetic. The group of cricketers who praised the win, called out the sheer chaos costing innocent lives. With that, India’s 1983 World Cup-winning wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani has sharply criticised the chaos that unfolded during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebrations. The veteran cricketer described the tragic stampede that claimed the lives of 11 RCB fans as a “deadly welcome” to the champions. Kirmani expressed grief over the incident and blamed poor planning and rushed execution by the organisers. Speaking to India today, he said, “My condolences to bereaved families. This was a deadly welcome to IPL champions. In our times, there was no such media hype and there was no TV and there was no such thing which could lead to such things." Read also: "How Can We Be Held Responsible?": IPL Chair Arun Dhumal Responds to RCB Parade Stampede Criticism Kirimami calls out RCB's lack of senses Slamming the event’s management, Kirmani stated that holding such an event immediately after a title win—after 17 years of wait—was unnecessary. He felt the organisers should have prioritised crowd control and public safety before planning the felicitation. Kirmani said, “On that count I suppose if RCB waited for 17 (18) years to become champions and organisers whosoever it may be could have waited for a while for things to settle down and then organise a show to felicitate these great heroes of RCB.” He also voiced concern over the evolving nature of fan obsession, especially in the IPL era. Comparing it to domestic cricket, he questioned whether the same enthusiasm would exist for local teams like Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy. He added, “The fans of our times were not as crazy as fans of today and especially in the IPL, the crazy fans are unimaginable particularly as you could see lakhs and lakhs were around just to get a glimpse of these great heroes.” RCB defeated Punjab Kings by six runs in the final to lift their first IPL trophy, with Rajat Patidar becoming the fourth debut captain to win the league.