Virat Kohli expressed his condolences to the families affected by the tragic stampede at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 that claimed 11 lives and left several others injured.

Nearly 2.5 lakh fans thronged the stadium to catch a glimpse of Kohli and other players during RCB's IPL title celebrations.

"Nothing in life really prepares you for the heartbreak like June 4. What should have been the happiest moment in our franchise's history turned into something tragic," Kohli said.

He added that he has been thinking of and praying for the families of those who lost their lives and the fans who were injured.

Kohli affirmed that their loss is now part of the franchise’s story and pledged that RCB would move forward with care, respect, and responsibility.

The stampede occurred as a massive crowd surged in response to social media invitations sent out by the franchise.

An inquiry attributed the chaos to inadequate clearances and overwhelming turnout.

Police admitted being outnumbered and the probe held RCB responsible for encouraging such a large gathering.

RCB announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the deceased and promised meaningful action in their memory.

The franchise also launched a foundation, RCB Cares, to work with stadium authorities, sporting bodies, and league partners to design improved crowd management protocols.

The celebrations reportedly took place in haste, with a few fans claiming it was scheduled to accommodate the travel plans of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, who flew to England the following day.

Some fans on social media called for Kohli’s arrest under the hashtag #arrestKohli.

One user had tweeted, "All this was done because this guy wanted to fly back to London , shame at the peak! Should be arrested for insisting stampede."

Another urged, "Arrest them ASAP!"

While there is no confirmation linking the schedule of the celebrations to the couple’s travel plans, online reactions remained strong, and reflected public anger at the tragedy.