RCB to wear black armbands vs SRH in memory of lives lost during last year’s stampede at M Chinnaswamy

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will begin their IPL 2026 campaign with a tribute to the 11 supporters who lost their lives in the stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the team’s title celebrations last year. As reported by ANI, RCB players will wear black armbands during their season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru on Saturday, turning the match into an occasion marked as much by remembrance as by the start of a new season.

The tribute is part of a wider memorial plan linked to RCB’s return to their home venue after months of scrutiny and safety review. Players are also set to wear practice jerseys carrying the number 11 during the warm-up, while 11 seats at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium will remain permanently unoccupied in memory of those who died. The gestures are intended to ensure that the fans who lost their lives remain part of the club’s story even as cricket returns to the ground.

The tragedy had cast a long shadow over cricket in Bengaluru. Eleven people were killed and several others were injured in the stampede that followed RCB’s victory celebrations on June 4, 2025. The incident sparked serious questions about crowd management and stadium safety, and halted major cricket activity at one of the country’s most recognisable venues.

The Karnataka cabinet approved hosting IPL matches at the venue in February following recommendations from a government-appointed expert committee. In March, the Karnataka State Cricket Association received permission from Home Minister G. Parmeshwara to stage IPL 2026 matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium, including playoff and final fixtures.

Before that, clearance was granted, and the KSCA completed the first phase of safety and infrastructure work as suggested by the police, the Public Works Department, the fire force, and medical authorities. Those measures included widening gates, improving exit areas and strengthening medical emergency arrangements in and around the stadium.

An expert committee led by Maheshwar Rao later inspected the venue and approved the changes, paving the way for Chinnaswamy Stadium’s return as a full-capacity IPL venue. The stadium has now been cleared to host matches with its full crowd strength of 33,000.

That gives RCB’s opener against SRH an emotional significance beyond cricket. The black armbands, the number 11 warm-up jerseys and the permanently vacant seats will stand as visible reminders of a tragedy that remains fresh in Bengaluru’s sporting memory.