Nearly three months after a devastating stampede near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives, IPL 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have broken their silence with a heartfelt message on social media. The franchise, which had refrained from posting since the June 4 tragedy, returned on Thursday with a statement acknowledging the grief and expressing solidarity with those affected.

“It’s been close to three months since we last posted here. The silence wasn’t absence. It was grief,” read the opening lines of RCB’s emotional post. “This space was once filled with energy, memories and moments that you enjoyed the most. But June 4th changed everything.”

Dear 12th Man Army, this is our heartfelt letter to you!

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The Silence wasn’t Absence. It was Grief.

This space was once filled with energy, memories and moments that you… pic.twitter.com/g0lOXAuYbd

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) August 28, 2025

On that day, what began as a jubilant celebration turned into a nightmare. Thousands of fans had gathered outside the stadium to join a victory party organised to celebrate RCB’s historic maiden IPL title win, secured after an 18-year wait. The team had edged past Punjab Kings by six runs in a thrilling final in Ahmedabad.