The Royal Challengers Bengaluru players are donning black armbands during the Indian Premier League 2026 opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. The gesture has been adopted by the RCB players to pay tribute to fans who tragically lost their lives in the stampede outside the venue following the team’s historic title win last year. Eleven people died, and several others were injured in the tragedy, which took place during RCB’s celebrations of winning their maiden IPL title.
That roar at 56th second.
This is Chinnaswamy!
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) March 28, 2026
Earlier, a statement from RCB said, “Royal Challengers Bengaluru will pay tribute to the eleven members of the RCB family who tragically lost their lives in the unfortunate incident on June 4.”
“As a mark of respect, players will wear practice jerseys bearing the number 11 during the warm-up, followed by black armbands during the match.”
“In a lasting gesture of remembrance, eleven seats at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will remain unoccupied, serving as a permanent tribute to the fans whose unwavering support will always be a part of the RCB family,” the statement concluded.
Cricket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium had been suspended since June 2025, when a stampede during RCB’s IPL title celebration resulted in 11 deaths and multiple injuries. Since then, high-profile tournaments, including the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup and the state’s KSCA Maharaja Trophy league, were relocated at short notice amid safety concerns. The stadium also did not host any T20 World Cup matches this year.
Following recommendations from a government-appointed expert committee, the Karnataka Cabinet had given approval for Indian Premier League (IPL) matches to be held at the venue in February.
In March, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) successfully obtained permission from Home Minister G Parmeshwara to host IPL 2026 matches, including the playoffs and final, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
(With ANI inputs)