T20 WC 2024 parade in Mumbai & RCB IPl 2025 parade in Bengaluru [Source: @pchavhanke, @ventingout247/x.com]
RCB fans had waited 18 long years for this: a title, a parade and a chance to paint Bengaluru red. But what should have been a night to remember turned into a chilling nightmare on June 4, 2025, when a stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives.
Just a year ago, Mumbai pulled off a textbook celebration for India’s T20 World Cup 2024 win with military-level coordination and crowd control. But Bengaluru’s attempt to replicate that energy? No clear plan, conflicting messaging and total mismanagement. From broken gates to a missing FIR, it was a complete administrative meltdown.
Let’s take a closer look at why the T20 World Cup 2024 victory parade in Mumbai was smooth sailing and why RCB’s IPL 2025 victory parade turned into a nightmare.
Mumbai’s Parade Was a Masterclass in Planning & Management
From Nariman Point to the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai knew a party was coming. The BCCI, Mumbai Cricket Association and local authorities joined forces. There were five full days to prep after India’s World Cup win. A victory parade with the World Champions isn't a walk in the park but the planning was top-drawer.
Marine Drive came to a grinding halt, not due to chaos, but due to sheer fan energy. Yet, things stayed under control. Over 5,000 cops were deployed. Roads were shut, advisories were issued and even office-goers were told to call it a half day. From the open bus to the tight police escort and crowd control at the promenade, it was clinical.
Bengaluru’s Big Day Turned Dark
Bengaluru was still buzzing from RCB’s long-overdue IPL win. Fans turned up in lakhs, close to 2-3 lakh as per some reports. But no one really knew what the plan was. Confusion over the venue, lack of barricades, no proper clearance for a parade and poor coordination made it a powder keg.
RCB’s open-air felicitation was held at the Vidhana Soudha steps, a magnificent but ill-suited spot to manage crowds this size. Thousands rushed to Chinnaswamy hoping for a parade that was never greenlit by police.
The stadium with a 35,000 capacity, couldn’t handle the sea of people. The result? Tragedy. Stampede. Eleven dead, including a child. Dozens injured. And all of it could have been avoided.
The Glaring Gap in Coordination
While Mumbai Police, MCA and BCCI worked in tandem for India's parade, Bengaluru’s event was a mess of miscommunication. Even the BCCI washed its hands off it. IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal said they had no clue it was happening. No FIRs were filed, just UDRs.
It’s heartbreaking that RCB’s golden day was marred by a preventable disaster. There was no excuse. Unlike the T20 WC parade that had five days of prep, this event did not have enough time.
But while Mumbai raised a toast to planning and passion, Bengaluru got a bitter taste of what happens when administration drops the ball.
Both wins were iconic. Both deserved celebration. But only one city handled it with the dignity it deserved. The other left us with headlines we would rather not write again.