A major tragedy was averted at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi on Tuesday night when a near-stampede situation outside the venue during the final of the Jharkhand T20 Cricket League left 22 cricket enthusiasts injured, seven of them seriously.

The incident occurred as an unexpectedly large crowd gathered at the stadium, where entry for the final match had been made free. Thousands of spectators turned up, far exceeding estimates, and many were unable to gain entry, leading to mounting frustration and chaos.

According to eyewitnesses, heavy crowds accumulated outside the North, West and South gates of the stadium. Security arrangements proved inadequate to handle the rush, with too few personnel deployed to manage the swelling crowd. Agitated spectators allegedly broke through barricades and damaged some gates after being denied entry.

At the South and North gates, continuous pressure from the crowd pushing from behind caused several people to fall, resulting in injuries. During the commotion, several parked motorcycles and cars inside the stadium premises were also damaged.

Sources said rumours circulating on social media claiming that former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni would attend the match attracted a much larger number of fans than anticipated.

Organisers reportedly failed to coordinate adequately with the district administration and police, leading to insufficient deployment of security personnel. There were also reports that security staff resorted to a baton charge while attempting to control the crowd, further aggravating the situation.

Following the incident, JSCA president Ajay Nath Shahdeo said matches had been held regularly since June 10 without any such issues and that the unprecedented turnout for the final had led to the breakdown in crowd management. He said most of the injured were in stable condition.

The incident has, however, raised serious questions over crowd management, security arrangements and coordination among organisers and authorities during major sporting events.

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