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Deaths and injuries to fans mar Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s homecoming in Bengaluru

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RCB's homecoming was attended by vast crowds creating stampede-like conditions (Cricinfo)

Eleven people have died in Bengaluru on Wednesday due to injuries suffered during stampede-like conditions around the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru players were being celebrated for winning the IPL  for the first time in 18 years.

There have been reports of injuries to several more people, who have been admitted to nearby hospitals.

“People were supposed to witness RCB’s IPL victory celebrations. The tragedy and death have brought deep pain and shock,” Karnataka’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said on social media. “My condolences to the deceased. My condolences to their family. Let there be pride, but not bigger than life. I appeal to everyone to please stay safe.”

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia expressed his condolences. “It is very unfortunate. This is a negative side of popularity,” he said. “People are crazy for their cricketers. The organisers should have planned it better. My deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. I wish early recovery of the injured.”

“When one organises a victory celebration of this magnitude, proper precautions, safety and security measures need to be taken. There have been some lapses somewhere.”

Several police personnel engaged to manage crowds were seen carrying fans, some of them minors, to hospital amid rain and heavy traffic that had come to a grinding halt, even as RCB’s victorious squad held the trophy aloft as celebrations continued in the evening in front of at least 25,000 fans who had made it inside the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

ESPNcricinfo understands the chaos outside the venue prompted state police to issue a directive to the franchise, urging them to keep the celebrations brief. A planned victory lap around the ground was also curtailed as the players and team exited the venue quickly.

An administrative staff member at one of the hospitals confirmed emergency cases ranging from dehydration to bruises and mild skull fractures. There were also cases of exhaustion and trauma resulting from the stampede-like situation that led to several fans trying to climb the boundary wall of the stadium along Cubbon Road.

A family member of one of those injured described the scenes as “complete mismanagement” by local authorities. At least four fans were brought in unconscious from the nearby Cubbon Park Metro Station, with emergency wards at Bowring Hospital and Lady Curzon Hospital working swiftly to address the crisis.

Earlier in the afternoon, a few thousand fans had gathered at the Kempegowda International Airport anticipating RCB’s arrival, even before they had departed from Ahmedabad. This led to the local police and the chief minister’s office issuing a clearance for the team to land at the city’s old HAL Airport to minimise heavy traffic movement along the route to the international airport.

Subsequently roads were cleared for the bus transporting the players to make its way from Old Airport Road to the Vidhana Soudha. Even so, the bus arrived later than the originally scheduled 4pm slot for the felicitation function. The metro service in central Bengaluru experienced more than heavy footfall, resulting in a brief stoppage of trains along the Purple Line as more private security personnel were called in to man the stations along the route to the stadium.

At one point, the stampede-like situation also led to the police employing mobile jammers, according to the stadium officials. In an additional crowd-control measure, authorities suspended stops at key metro stations near the venue to prevent more fans from disembarking and converging on the already overwhelmed area.

Heavy traffic around the ground and surrounding areas even forced a number of airlines to issue advisories to passengers flying out of Bengaluru on Wednesday evening.

(Cricinfo)



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Showers  above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district

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WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 OCTOBER 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 October 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

Misty conditions can be expected at some places in  the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours of the morning.

Showers or thundershowers will occur in the most part of the island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers  above 100 mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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Former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa arrested by CIABOC

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Former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was  produced before the Hulftsdorp court, after  being  arrested by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and produce

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Smriti Mandhana appointed India captain across formats

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Smriti Mandhana looks on in the field [Cricinfo]

Smriti Mandhana has been named India’s all-format women’s captain on the same day Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role after nearly a decade since she first took over.

Mandhana – vice-captain to Harmanpreet for much of this period – has previously led India in four ODIs and 18 T20Is, apart from captaining Maharashtra in domestic cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League.

Mandhana’s first assignment will be the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe beginning with the three T20Is in Raipur from October 16. On Tuesday, Mandhana was part of the selection meeting chaired by Amita Sharma to pick the squad for the tour.

Terming the appointment a “special honour”, Mandhana also acknowledged the contributions of her predecessor in her welcome note.

“I would also like to acknowledge Harmanpreet and the contribution she has made as captain over the years,” she was quoted as saying by the BCCI. “She has led the team with great commitment and has been an important part of our journey.

“I understand the responsibility that comes with this role and look forward to working with the team, learning along the way and giving my best to take Indian cricket forward.”

Mandhana’s appointment comes on the back of a review meeting held on Monday in Guwahati. Chaired by secretary Devajit Saikia, the meeting was also attended by Mandhana, Harmanpreet and head coach Amol Muzumdar to chart a roadmap forward, with an eye on next year’s inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy in February as well as the T20 World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Mandhana, India’s best all-format batter, has been knocking on the doors for a while. Earlier this year, she led RCB to their second WPL title, in which she also top-scored in the final.

In September, she overtook Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international across formats. Her 18 international hundreds are also the most in women’s cricket. She is also the first Indian woman to score centuries in all formats.

[Cricinfo]

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