IPL 2026 Kicks Off with Tribute to Fans

The IPL 2026 season commenced with a poignant tribute to 11 fans who lost their lives in a tragic incident last year. Players from RCB and SRH observed a moment of silence and wore black armbands during the match. RCB also announced that eleven seats at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium would remain unoccupied as a permanent memorial. The match began with RCB opting to field after winning the toss, and Ishan Kishan made history as the second-youngest captain for SRH. The playing XIs for both teams were also revealed, setting the stage for an emotional and competitive season ahead.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 28, 2026, 21:13 IST

A Respectful Beginning to IPL 2026

Before the opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, players from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) held a moment of silence to honor 11 fans who tragically lost their lives during last year's celebrations at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The unfortunate incident occurred when a stampede broke out outside the stadium during RCB's title victory celebrations, resulting in the deaths of 11 fans and injuries to many others. Cricket activities at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium had been on hold since June 2025.

RCB's Heartfelt Tribute

In the tournament opener against SRH, the defending champions RCB will don black armbands as a sign of respect.

An official statement from RCB expressed, "Royal Challengers Bengaluru will honor the eleven members of the RCB family who lost their lives in the tragic event on June 4."

"To commemorate this, players will wear practice jerseys featuring the number 11 during warm-ups, followed by black armbands during the match."

"Additionally, eleven seats at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will remain vacant as a permanent tribute to the fans whose steadfast support will always be cherished by the RCB family," the statement concluded.

Match Begins: RCB Chooses to Field

In the meantime, Bengaluru won the toss and opted to field first against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the tournament opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Ishan Kishan, at 27 years and 253 days, became the second-youngest captain in the franchise's history, following Kane Williamson, who was 27 years and 244 days old in 2018.

Playing XIs Announced

The playing XI for both teams is as follows:

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w/c), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma.