Former Indian cricketer and head coach Rahul Dravid shared his thoughts on the tragic stampede at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL title celebration on June 4. RCB had just ended an 18-year wait for the IPL title by beating Punjab Kings by six runs on June 3, and a victory parade was organized in Bengaluru to celebrate with fans. Unfortunately, the excitement turned to tragedy when a stampede broke out, leading to the deaths of 11 people.
Dravid, a proud resident of Bengaluru and a prominent figure in Karnataka cricket, spoke with NDTV about the heartbreaking event. It’s very disappointing and sad. Bengaluru is a city that loves sports, not just cricket. It’s tough to see something like this happen here. My thoughts are with those who lost their lives and everyone who got hurt, he said.
While he’s currently working as the coach for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Dravid chose not to engage in any political blame after the incident, avoiding accusations toward the state government, the franchise, or the Karnataka State Cricket Association. A few officials from RCB and an event management company have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation, and an FIR has been filed against the IPL franchise.