Dinesh Karthik's appeal for RCB stampede victims: ‘Join us in showing care’

11 died in the stampede occurred on the evening of June 4 outside the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru

Dinesh Karthik, the batting coach and mentor of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), on Thursday offered his support and sympathies to the people who died in the stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 during the team's victory celebrations.

11 people were killed and more than 50 injured in the stampede, which took place as an estimated 3 lakh people gathered to watch RCB celebrate their first Indian Premier League (IPL) victory.

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"My heartfelt condolences go out to all of the families who lost loved ones on 4th June. I can't begin to imagine what you must have gone through. I pray and hope that God gives you the strength to come through this, and I ask all of our fans to join us in showing care and togetherness through this difficult time," Karthik said in a post shared by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on their social media handles.

“My heartfelt condolences go out to all of the families who lost loved ones on 4th June. I can’t begin to imagine what you must have gone through. I pray and hope that God gives you the strength to come through this and I ask all of our fans to join us in showing care and… pic.twitter.com/KuqSI9qO7a

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) September 4, 2025

Following the incident, RCB last month promised to provide the families of the deceased with Rs 25 lakh each in financial support. The team, supporters, and cricket community members all conveyed their condolences and solidarity.

The franchise shared their sorrow at the loss on social media and promised to continue supporting the families of the deceased through their new initiative, RCB CARES.

"Our hearts broke on June 4, 2025. We lost eleven members of the RCB family. They were part of us. Part of what makes our city, our community & our team unique. Their absence will echo in the memories of each one of us," the statement read.

The Rs 25 lakh gift, according to RCB, is a "promise of compassion, unity, and ongoing care" for the impacted families in addition to providing cash support.

On Monday, RCB revealed the foundation of RCB Cares, their long-term dedication to supporters.  Through significant activities, the initiative aims to uplift, empower, and support the 12th Man Army.

After securing the required authorizations, RCB Cares will expand its help beyond financial aid in the upcoming months to offer fans and affected families prompt, open, and caring support.