Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke about the tragedy of Wednesday in Bengaluru, where a stampede killed 11 people and injured several others outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Gambhir was candid in his opinion, stating that he does not like roadshows and wants the authority to be much more responsible. The retired India batsman said that regardless of how great the moment is, over-the-top celebrations like these need to be reined in to maintain the safety of individuals.
A Celebratory Day Turned Tragic
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru, their first IPL trophy in hand after winning over Punjab Kings in the final, had an opportunity for a celebratory day with felicitations and a full Chinnaswamy Stadium waiting to welcome and bask in their glory. But the tragedy that ensued caught players, authorities, and the franchise by surprise. Police lost control of the sea of humanity surrounding the stadium, ultimately resulting in several deaths. Gambhir emphasized that there is nothing more precious than human lives, and if that is put at risk, there needs to be some serious soul-searching.
Gambhir’s Experience with Roadshows
As Gambhir himself had noted, he has experienced the honor of participating in two open-bus victory parades in his career: one with the Indian team in Mumbai when they won the 2007 T20 World Cup and another with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012. But, in Mumbai, things were so well managed that not a single disquieting piece of news emerged out of it. “I was never a believer that we need to have roadshows. Even when I was playing, I had the same statement to make. After winning in 2007 [T20 World Cup], I felt that we should not have roadshows. The lives of the people are far more important, and I will continue to say that. Even in future, I think we can be a little bit aware and not hold these roadshows,” Gambhir said ahead of the Indian team’s departure for England in Mumbai on Thursday.
“Have it under closed doors, or a low-profile affair inside a stadium. But it is very tragic what happened yesterday, and my heart goes out to the families of people who lost their loved ones. I hope that in future, nothing like this happens because we are all responsible citizens. Might as well cancel these roadshows” says Gautam Gambhir.
Gautam Gambhir Criticizes Roadshows After Tragedy
Actually, only last year, after having won the T20 World Cup in the West Indies, players were involved in another roadshow, again organized effortlessly in the same city. RCB have taken a lot of heat for going ahead with the celebrations within the stadium while citizens died outside, with the team being named in an FIR that was filed earlier in the day. Gambhir continued to make his point that if the infrastructure is not capable enough to cater to an event of this size, pulling the plug is the best course of action.