'We'll Never Be Able To Move On From June 4th': Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya Open Up Bengaluru Stampede

Sports Cricket

Posted by AI on 2025-09-05 13:36:03 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-18 09:19:16

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It has been a bittersweet couple of weeks for local cricketers Jitesh Sharma and Krunal Pandya. While the former duo were part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad that lifted the Indian Premier League (IPL) title at their home ground M Chinnaswamy Stadium on 29th May, their joy was short-lived due to the tragedy that unfolded minutes after the final whistle.

The cricketers were mourning the loss of the unfortunate incident that occurred on June 4 at the same venue, where an IPL fanfest turned into a nightmare when a crowd of celebrating fans surged into a narrow underpass, leading to a stampede that claimed 11 lives.

Sharma and Pandya, who were present at the stadium that night and witnessed the horror first-hand, shared their experiences and expressed their grief on the incident, which has now claimed 17 lives, according to officials.

"It's been a mixed bag of emotions for me over the past few weeks. I was obviously ecstatic when RCB finally lifted the IPL trophy but that moment was quickly overshadowed by the unfortunate events of June 4. It's a nightmare that just doesn't want to end for us," Sharma told Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one of the stadium officials who was on-site that day said the whole episode was "pure mayhem" and described how chaotic the situation was.

"The police and stadium officials tried their best to handle the situation but it just got out of control. It was unfortunate that the casualties occurred mainly due to stampedes and a few suffocations here and there," he added.

When asked about the aftermath of the event, Sharma revealed that he has struggled to come to terms with what happened and will never be able to forget what he saw that night.

"No amount of words can describe what I felt that night. It's sad that we lost so many lives. We'll never be able to move on from June 4th," he added.

His comments were echoed by Pandya, who said he will always be haunted by the memories of that night.

"These last few days have been very tough. I am trying my best to focus on the present and the upcoming challenges but I am constantly reminded of what happened. It is something that I will never be able to get over," he said.

A fortnight later, the aftermath of the tragic event continues to haunt the cricketing community, and the lives of the affected families.

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