Virat Kohli during the RCB victory celebrations at Chinnaswamy stadium, June 04, 2025.
Credit: DH Photo
Three months after tragedy unfolded on the streets of Bengaluru in the form of a stampede, Virat Kohli, the face of the city's IPL franchise, has opened up on the tragedy.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in a social media post, shared a quote by Kohli where he laments how one of the happiest days in the history of the franchise turned into a tragedy on the fateful day of June 4, 2025.
The star batter also said that he has been thinking of and praying for the families of the 11 people who lost their lives in the stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Kohli said, “Nothing in life really prepares you for a heartbreak like June 4th. What should’ve been the happiest moment in our franchise’s history… turned into something tragic. I’ve been thinking of and praying for the families of those we lost… and for our fans who were injured. Your loss is part of our story now. Together, we will move forward with care, respect and responsibility.”
The 37-year-old was dragged into the issue since some believed it was he who insisted on celebrating the title win in Bengaluru the day after the final. A video of the cricketer uploaded to X by RCB was also cited by the Karnataka government in its status report on the stampede.
“Subsequently, on 04.06.2025, at 8:55 am, the RCB shared a video clip of Virat Kohli, a prominent player of the RCB team, on RCB's official handle @ Rcbtweets on X, in which he stated that the team intended to celebrate this victory with the people of Bengaluru city and RCB fans on 04.06.2025 in Bengaluru,” the report said. Here's the video in question:
The state government, in its status report, had placed the onus on the management of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) cricket team for the large congregation of people outside the gates of the M Chinnaswamy stadium.