When you cannot control the crowd then why did Gautam Gambhir celebrate like this?
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the tragedy of Wednesday in Bengaluru, where a stampede led to the loss of 11 lives and injured multiple individuals outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Gambhir was blunt in his assessment, saying that he is not a fan of roadshows, urging the authority to be a lot more responsible. The former India batter mentioned that no matter how big the occasion is, such over-the-top celebrations should be curbed to ensure the safety of people.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who won their maiden IPL trophy by beating Punjab Kings in the final, were in for a festive day, with felicitations and a packed Chinnaswamy Stadium ready to welcome and cherish their feat. But the tragedy that unfolded left players, authorities and the franchise shocked. The police lost control of the sea of humanity outside the stadium, eventually leading to multiple deaths. Gambhir stressed that there is nothing more important than the lives of people, and if that is put in jeopardy, some serious soul-searching is required
“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