Royal Challengers Bengaluru have invested nearly Rs 7 crore in improving crowd safety at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The move comes almost a year after 11 fans died in a stampede during the team’s IPL trophy celebrations. This is the most significant crowd management overhaul the venue has ever seen.
The the tragedy occurred on June 4, 2025. Thousands of fans gathered outside the stadium to celebrate RCB won the IPL title. The overwhelming crowd became fatal. Eleven people lost their lives. The incident sparked outrage and prompted intervention by the Karnataka government and the Supreme Court.
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RCB CEO Rajesh Menon was addressing the media at the franchise’s pre-season press meet on Tuesday. He outlined the steps taken to ensure that the disaster never happens again.
“We have invested around Rs 7 crore in improving crowd management infrastructure, including baggage scanners and command centres,” Menon said.
AI cameras and a new command center
The stadium now has CCTV cameras with artificial intelligence. They cover the interior of the earth, the expanse, and all surrounding areas. The system is powered by an AI tool called Jarvis. Provides real-time crowd counts and alerts for each stand. The resources will also be accessible to the commissioner’s office for live monitoring.
“This system provides real-time alerts, including site-specific crowd counts, to ensure better monitoring and control,” Menon said.
RCB has also followed all the guidelines set by the Karnataka government and the Supreme Court. The franchise’s popular preseason “Unbox” event was canceled this year as part of the measures.
“It has been a long journey since June 4 and everything has been done on a war footing. We have been working to follow the standard operating procedures provided by the court and ensure that all protocols are in place,” Menon said.
New rules, new agreements
The agreements between BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), KSCA (Karnataka State Cricket Association) and RCB were also revised. The KSCA will now serve as a co-organizer alongside the franchise. It will implement emergency planning protocols and standard operating procedures. In the previous agreement, RCB was solely responsible for hosting the events, while KSCA acted only as a venue provider.
Entry and exit points have been redesigned. All stadium gates will open four hours before each match. Ticket holders get access to the metro on match days. Parking can be reserved in advance.
RCB started their IPL 2026 home campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday. They are scheduled to host five matches at Chinnaswamy this season.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
24th March 2026 17:00 IST
