Royal Challengers Bengaluru found themselves at the centre of a storm on Wednesday after posting a celebratory video online, mere hours after a tragic stampede near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru claimed 11 lives and left several others seriously injured. The video featured jubilant scenes of the RCB team bus being showered with love and cheers from adoring fans lining the streets to welcome their IPL 2025 champions back home.

The post, which was captioned 'This welcome is what pure love looks like', was intended to capture the euphoric spirit of the homecoming. However, it was met with immediate backlash across social media platforms, with users accusing the franchise of being tone-deaf and insensitive in the wake of the devastating incident.

As criticism mounted, RCB swiftly removed the post. The timing of the video, shared while emergency services were still attending to the injured and families were grappling with the loss of their loved ones, sparked outrage among netizens, many of whom felt that the celebratory tone was grossly inappropriate given the tragedy that had just unfolded.