Nothing in life really prepares you for heartbreak like June 4: Kohli

Exactly three months after the tragic stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives and left over 50 injured, India’s batting great and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) veteran Virat Kohli expressed his condolences to the bereaved families, terming that the loss is ‘a part of the franchise’s story now’. Kohli also vowed to move forward with care and respect.

Nearly 2.5 lakh fans thronged the stadium to catch a glimpse of Kohli and other players during RCB’s IPL title celebrations.

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“Nothing in life really prepares you for the heartbreak like June 4. What should have been the happiest moment in our franchise’s history turned into something tragic,” Kohli said.

“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,” Kohli added.

After having stepped away from both T20 and Test formats, Kohli will next be seen in action during India’s white ball tour of Australia in October.

RCB recently unveiled a comprehensive roadmap for their new initiative, ‘RCB Cares’, following the tragic incident. As part of the foundation’s long-term vision, RCB announced that it will collaborate closely with the IPL and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to develop stronger crowd management protocols aimed at preventing such incidents in the future.

The franchise had earlier pledged Rs 25 lakh in compensation to each of the families affected by the tragedy. Expanding on that commitment, ‘RCB Cares’ was introduced as a platform dedicated to “support, empower and elevate our 12th Man Army through meaningful action.”

The stampede occurred as a massive crowd surged in response to social media invitations sent out by the franchise. An inquiry attributed the chaos to inadequate clearances and overwhelming turnout. Police admitted being outnumbered and the probe held RCB responsible for encouraging such a large gathering.

In the aftermath of the stampede, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium also lost the hosting rights of the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup matches, and was recently replaced by the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.