Dinesh Karthik recalls stampede outside M.Chinnaswamy: ‘We are just sportsmen who are playing this sport…was told that people are losing lives’

Dinesh Karthik, the batting coach and mentor for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), talked about his and the team's initial reactions upon learning of the chaos outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium. 

The Bengaluru-based team eventually ended their 18-year IPL title drought earlier this year. The team planned to hold a victory parade and felicitation event in Bengaluru the following day in order to commemorate their victory over the Punjab Kings, whom they had defeated in the final on June 3 in Ahmedabad.

It was supposed to be a momentous occasion. Rather, Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first IPL title victory was marred by tragedy. On the day of the event, RCB supporters were marred into a stampede outside the renowned stadium, which resulted from the team's utter incompetence. It also resulted in over 50 injuries and 11 fatalities, severely damaging RCB's victory celebrations.

After the Bengaluru stampede, Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting coach Dinesh Karthik finally spoke after months of silence. Karthik recalled the incident when speaking at India Today's South Conclave, saying that all of the players were shocked by the sad event.

There was a great deal of outrage as celebrations went on inside the stadium despite the deaths of spectators outside. For their lacklustre response, the team and its players were also heavily criticised.

Speaking at the event on Monday, September 8, Karthik said, "We were in Bangalore. You have got to understand that we were told to go to an event and when we got there we were sent back. I don't even understand what had happened. It was beyond us. We are just sportsmen who are playing this sport. When something like this happens, you just don't know how to react. That means that my first instinct when I was told that people are losing lives... Could it change? I really wish it could."

The Bengaluru-based franchise said after the incident that the families of those killed in the stampede would each receive INR 25 lakh in compensation. Additionally, they started a program called 'RCB Cares' to help everyone who was hurt in the incident.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!