RCB Commemorates Fans Lost in 2025 Stampede Ahead of IPL 2026 Opener

A Heartfelt Tribute by Royal Challengers Bengaluru

On March 28, in Bengaluru, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) paid tribute to the fans who tragically lost their lives in the 2025 stampede by designating 11 seats at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium as permanently unoccupied. This gesture coincided with their first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

These seats will remain empty during all IPL and international games as a mark of respect.

Prior to the IPL 2026 season opener, players from both RCB and SRH observed a moment of silence to honor the fans who perished in the 2025 incident.

To provide context, the stampede occurred during the celebrations following RCB's inaugural IPL title victory, resulting in the loss of 11 lives and numerous injuries. Cricket activities at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium had been halted since June 2025.

During the match against SRH, the defending champions RCB also donned black armbands.

RCB released a statement saying, “Royal Challengers Bengaluru will honor the eleven members of the RCB family who tragically lost their lives in the unfortunate incident on June 4.”

“As a sign of respect, players will wear practice jerseys featuring the number 11 during warm-ups, followed by black armbands during the match.”

“In a lasting tribute, eleven seats at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will remain unoccupied, symbolizing the enduring support of the fans who will always be part of the RCB family,” the statement concluded.

In the tournament opener, Bengaluru won the toss and opted to field against SRH at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

At 27 years and 253 days, Ishan Kishan, the stand-in captain for Sunrisers, became the franchise's second-youngest skipper, following Kane Williamson (27y, 244d) in 2018.

Playing XI for both teams:

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.