'You’ve all been in my thoughts and prayers' - Patidar offers heartfelt message to Chinnaswamy tragedy victims

Published - 03 Sept 2025, 19:09 IST | Updated - 03 Sept 2025, 19:32 IST

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Rajat Patidar has spoken up in response to the tragic stampede which took place during the franchise's title celebrations on June 4 in and around the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. The devastating occurrence which took place earlier this year became a horror episode for all the attendees.

Patidar's remarks came briefly after Virat Kohli’s first official statement regarding the incident was posted online. The main essence of Patidar's statement was his and the franchise's unwavering care and love for RCB's supporters that has grown so strong over the years from both ends.

“Every time I walk out for RCB, it’s with passion, and that passion comes from you. From your love, your belief, and your unwavering support. You’ve always stood by us. And from the bottom of my heart, I want you to know that we stand with you, too. You’ve all been in my thoughts and prayers. With all of us holding on to each other, we’ll find our strength again," Patidar stated in a message shared via RCB’s official social media handle.

Kohli breaks silence on RCB victory celebrations tragedy

RCB have now unveiled their new fund — RCB Cares. This is an initiative which has been launched with the aim of nurturing, strengthening and empowering the fan base. Each of the affected families have been previously promised a sum of INR 25 lakh, which is in addition to INR 10 lakh promised earlier. It will aim at collaborating with the IPL and the Karnataka State Cricket Association on crowd control strategies to prevent similar future incidents.

The Karnataka state government had appointed the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission for a thorough and independent investigation on the tragic incident where 11 innocents lost their lives on June 4. It was found out through severe scrutiny that the layout of the venue and infrastructure was unfit to host events with capacity crowds.

The saddening incident was discussed in detail during the monsoon session of the Karnataka Assembly too. Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had that similar tragedies have occurred in India as well, on a global basis. He had also claimed that no one in India has ever taken responsibility or resigned in such types of cases. This statement prompted several prominent members of the opposition to stage a walkout.