Team India’s new head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has spoken strongly about the tragic stampede that happened during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebrations. The incident took place in Bengaluru and sadly led to the death of 11 people and left many others injured.
Gambhir addressed the media in Mumbai along with Shubman Gill, the newly appointed Test captain of India, before the team left for their tour of England.
Read more: RCB Steps Up! ₹10 Lakh for Grieving Families – But Is It Enough After Bengaluru’s Deadly Stampede
Speaking about the tragedy, Gambhir said,
“I’ve never supported the idea of roadshows, even when we won the T20 World Cup in 2007. I said the same thing back then. Instead of street celebrations, maybe we can celebrate in a stadium. My heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones.”
He added,
“We need to be responsible. Every life is precious. If we aren’t ready to safely handle such events, we shouldn’t do them. We cannot lose 11 lives just to celebrate.”
Shubman Gill Takes Over as Test Captain
In the same press conference, BCCI officially announced that Shubman Gill will lead the Indian Test team. India is heading to England for a five-match Test series starting June 20, which also marks the beginning of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 for Team India.
This series is special as it signals a new era in Indian cricket. With Gill taking over, he follows in the footsteps of great players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R. Ashwin.
India Test Squad:
Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav
England Test Squad:
Ben Stokes (C), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes
Test Match Schedule – India Tour of England 2025:
- 1st Test: June 20-24 at Headingley, Leeds
- 2nd Test: July 2-6 at Edgbaston, Birmingham
- 3rd Test: July 10-14 at Lord’s, London
- 4th Test: July 23-27 at Old Trafford, Manchester
- 5th Test: July 31 – August 4 at The Oval, London
This tour is not just about cricket—it marks a fresh start for Indian Test cricket under a new leader.
