Rahul Dravid, former India batter, has opened up about the tragic stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, following Royal Challengers Bengaluru‘s IPL 2025 title celebration. RCB clinched their long-awaited first IPL title on June 3, edging past Punjab Kings by six runs in a thrilling final in Ahmedabad. To celebrate their victory with the fans, the franchise organised a victory parade in Bengaluru. The joyous occasion turned into a tragedy when a stampede killed 11 people

Dravid, who hails from Bengaluru and has long been a key figure in Karnataka cricket, spoke to NDTV, offering his heartfelt condolences to the victims of the incident.

“It’s incredibly disappointing and deeply saddening. Bengaluru is a city full of sports enthusiasts. I’m from here, and the people here have a passion for all sports, not just cricket. They support a wide range of sports and teams, whether it’s football or kabaddi. It’s truly heartbreaking that such a tragic incident occurred. Our thoughts are with those who lost their lives and those who were injured. Such a tragedy shouldn’t have happened,” Dravid said.

He is currently associated with the Rajasthan Royals as their coach in the IPL. Dravid opted not to delve into the political aspects surrounding the tragedy, which has since been the subject of intense debate. He refrained from blaming any parties, including the state government, the franchise, or the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).