Virat Kohli breaks silence on stampede that broke out during RCB's victory celebrations: 'At a loss for words'

Virat Kohli said he was “absolutely gutted” after 11 people died and several more were left injured in a stampede that broke out at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory celebrations.

Kohli and the rest of the RCB franchise were celebrating winning their maiden Indian Premier League title after defeating Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad when tragedy struck the iconic venue that happens to be their home ground.

Kohli reacts to tragedy at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium

“At a loss for words. Absolutely gutted,” Kohli wrote in a post on Instagram late on Wednesday in which he shared the official statement from the franchise.

The RCB said they were “deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents” in an official statement that was posted on social media late on Wednesday, hours after the tragic incident in the ‘Garden City’.

“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. RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extend our heartfelt condolences to the affected families,” read the franchise’s statement.

RCB’s victory parade took place less than 24 hours after the Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers defeated Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings, who were also fighting for their maiden IPL title, at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

The team’s celebration at the Chinnaswamy, the iconic venue that serves as their home ground in the IPL, continued for a while even as a stampede broke out at the gates , but ultimately had to be cut short with Kohli and Patidar being the only ones to make a speech along with a lap of honour with the trophy.

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RCB had initially planned for a bus parade from the Vidhan Soudha to the Chinnaswamy, covering roughly a kilometre. The parade, however, was called off after Bengaluru police denied permission, though they allowed the celebration at Chinnaswamy to go ahead.

The police, however, were unable to control the massive crowd that had gathered at the 35,000-capacity venue, with fans climbing trees, fencing and other structures in order to enter the stadium and catch a glimpse of their heroes who had finally delivered a title after years of heartbreak.