Euphoria for RCB turns into tragedy for Bengaluru
On Tuesday night, 18 years of heartbreak, despair and harrowing memories had finally given way to an indescribable euphoria. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, an Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit with one of the biggest fanbases, had finally scaled the peak it had promised to so often, only flattering to deceive. Tears of joy flowed from that indomitable cricketer, Virat Kohli. With the IPL crown too on his mantelpiece, he has won almost everything the world of cricket could offer. Naturally, the euphoria would spill out of the stadium in Ahmedabad. As soon as the Rajat Patidar-led side had beaten Punjab Kings in the final, people in Bengaluru had started one giant party. They were entitled to do so. That's the moment fans wait for in near-religious penance — the day when the tears of a 100 lonely nights are washed away by the magic of one trophy-laden celebration.
On Wednesday afternoon, though, scenes of utter joy gave way to an utterly avoidable tragedy as at least 11 fans died while wanting to catch a glimpse of their team and their favourite stars with the trophy. Imagine that for a second. People leaving their homes hoping to get their own pictures of Virat Kohli. At least 11 of them will go back in coffins. Those tragic scenes at the Chinnaswamy Stadium would haunt the franchise forever. This points towards lack of basic planning. Victory parades and fandom are an integral part of club culture abroad. The European football landscape is replete with such events. Of course, not always without incident, but such stampede-like situations would be hard to imagine. Italy's Napoli had a season to remember: the celebrations were wild but without incident.
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