Rahul Dravid, former Indian cricket team captain and head coach, spoke out about the Bengaluru stampede for the first time. Dravid, who played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, expressed his thoughts on the tragic event that claimed 11 lives during the team’s championship celebrations. “It’s disappointing and sad,” he said. “My condolences are with the families of those who lost their lives.”
Dravid, a Bengaluru native, noted that the city is passionate about sports, not just cricket. “People here follow and love football and kabaddi teams as well,” he added. The Royal Challengers Bangalore has a massive fan base, and the stampede was a unfortunate incident. Dravid extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and the injured.
The stampede occurred on June 4, a day after RCB’s IPL 2025 win, when a large crowd gathered near the Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate and catch a glimpse of the team and the trophy. The state government suspended several high-ranking police officers and arrested RCB’s Marketing and Revenue Head, Nikhil Sosale, in response to the tragedy.
The Karnataka government initially announced a compensation of 10 lakh rupees to the families of the deceased but later increased the amount to 25 lakh rupees. The RCB franchise also announced that it would provide 10 lakh rupees to the families of the victims. Dravid’s comments reflected the city’s shock and grief over the tragic event.