'Absolutely Gutted': Virat Kohli Speaks Out After 11 Killed In Chinnaswamy Stampede During RCB's IPL 2025 Victory Celebration

What was meant to be a historic celebration for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans turned into a tragic event on Wednesday, as a stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives and left more than 45 others injured.

The chaos erupted during RCB’s victory parade, organized to celebrate their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title after an 18-year wait. The team had clinched the trophy in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, and a grand welcome was planned in Bengaluru, including an open-top bus procession.

However, the excitement quickly turned to horror when an estimated two lakh fans gathered around the stadium, overwhelming security arrangements and leading to a stampede in the tightly packed crowd.

Virat Kohli took to socil media and broke his silence on the tragedy which killed 11 people. Taking to Instagram he wrote, "At a loss for words. Absolutely gutted," Kohli wrote in Instagram at around 10:45 PM, while reposting a statement by RCB. 

"We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents that have come to light through media reports regarding public gatherings all over Bengaluru in anticipation of the team's arrival this afternoon. The safety and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us," the official statement from RCB read.

"RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extend our heartfelt condolences to the affected families. Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our program, and followed, the guidance and advice of the local administration."

Rajeev Shukla on Bengaluru stampede

BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla on Wednesday issued a statement urging collaborative efforts for damage control and clarity on how the situation unfolded.

Speaking to ANI, Shukla acknowledged that government authorities had already cancelled the open-top bus roadshow in an effort to avoid overcrowding and any potential stampede-like scenario. However, he admitted that the crowd surge outside the stadium gates had not been anticipated.

Thousands of RCB fans swarmed the Chinnaswamy Stadium for a felicitation ceremony following the team’s maiden IPL title win, achieved just a day earlier. With free passes and celebratory fervor spreading rapidly across social media, crowd control became increasingly difficult, ultimately leading to a deadly stampede outside the stadium gates.