Former India cricketer Atul Wassan has come out in strong support of Virat Kohli, stating that the RCB star would have immediately exited the team’s victory celebrations had he known about the heartbreaking stampede unfolding just outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The tragic incident, which claimed 11 lives and left over 30 people injured, occurred as thousands gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic maiden IPL title win.

Kohli, who was present at the Vidhana Soudha earlier in the day for a felicitation ceremony conducted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, later moved to the stadium along with his RCB teammates for the next leg of the celebration. However, chaos erupted outside as lakhs of fans crowded the area, leading to a fatal stampede.

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Speaking to ANI, Atul Wassan stressed that there’s no way Kohli could have continued with the celebrations if he had known the gravity of the situation outside.

“I can’t believe for a second that Virat knew people were dying and still stayed inside. He’s not that kind of person,” Atul Wassan said. “The politicians, maybe — they’re thick-skinned. The franchise? Possibly, since they focus on optics and numbers. But this seems like a terrible communication breakdown.”

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He further added that once players became aware, it was too late for them to intervene. “Virat would’ve definitely walked out had he known. This is deeply tragic.”

CM Siddaramaiah confirmed the toll and announced ₹10 lakh compensation for the victims’ families. “Over 2-3 lakh people gathered. No one expected this,” he stated. The injured are currently receiving treatment at Vydehi and Bowring hospitals, as the city mourns what should have been a joyful moment in its cricket history.