BENGALURU: India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting superstar Virat Kohli has opened up about the June 4 stampede during his franchise's IPL victory celebrations here, saying "nothing in life really prepares you for the heartbreak" of 11 deaths on what should have been the happiest day for his side.
The tragic incident occurred when an estimated 2.5 lakh fans thronged at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate RCB's maiden IPL title.
"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," Kohli was quoted as saying by RCB on its 'X' handle.
"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," he added in his first elaborate comment on the mishap that led to widespread criticism of the franchise as well.
An official inquiry into the incident attributed the chaos to the lack of proper clearances and the overwhelming crowd, which surged in response to social media invitations sent out by the franchise.
The police admitted to being grossly outnumbered to manage the turnout and RCB was held responsible in the probe for encouraging the fans to come out in numbers.
In the aftermath, RCB announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the deceased and pledged to take "meaningful action" in their memory.
It also launched a foundation, RCB Cares, which has promised to work closely with stadium authorities, sporting bodies and league partners to design better crowd management protocols.