Bengaluru Stampede: Krunal Pandya breaks silence, says RCB victory parade 'was meant to share our joy'
Fans wave as a bus carrying the IPL 2025 winning Royal Challengers Bengaluru team arrives at the Chinnaswamy Stadium (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: What was meant to be a day of pure joy and celebration turned into one of sorrow and heartbreak as a tragic stampede outside Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives and injured 33 others on Wednesday.
The incident occurred during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) much-anticipated victory parade, celebrating their historic first Indian Premier League (IPL) title after 18 long years.
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In the aftermath of the tragedy, cricketer
Krunal Pandya
shared an emotional note on social media.
'Yesterday's event was meant to share our joy with you and it has turned into a heartbreaking tragedy 💔 Sending out my condolences and prayers to the families that are grieving 🙏🏼,' he wrote on Instagram.
His message echoed the sentiments of many players and fans who were left shaken by the horrifying turn of events.
Inside the stadium, only a brief celebration ensued, with team captain Rajat Patidar and star player
Virat Kohli
addressing the packed crowd and showcasing the trophy before the event was brought to an early close.
Virat Kohli, visibly distressed, later posted on Instagram: 'At a loss for words. Absolutely gutted.'
His wife, actor Anushka Sharma, also shared RCB's official statement, expressing her own grief over the loss of lives. The tragedy cast a heavy shadow over what should have been a celebratory milestone for RCB and its passionate fanbase.
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Former RCB legend AB de Villiers, who was also present at the event, expressed his sorrow on X (formerly Twitter): 'My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the tragic events at the Chinnaswamy stadium today.'
Initial reports suggest that overcrowding and insufficient crowd control measures outside the stadium contributed to the chaos. Thousands of fans had gathered in hopes of catching a glimpse of their cricketing heroes, but the unmanaged swell of supporters led to a tragic crush.
The incident has sparked widespread calls for better safety planning and crowd management at large-scale events. What was meant to mark a long-awaited victory has now become a moment of national mourning — a reminder of how celebrations can quickly turn tragic without adequate precautions.
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