IPL 2026: RCB to wear black armbands in memory of stampede victims during opening game
IPL 2026: RCB to take on SRH in opening fixture (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 28 Mar 2026, 03:58 PM• Read time - 2 mins
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players will be wearing black armbands during their opening fixture of the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) as a tribute to the victims of the stampede incident last year. RCB will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opening fixture on Saturday, March 28, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
As a mark of respect to the 11 lives lost during their IPL 2025 victory celebrations in a stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, all the players will wear black armbands to pay homage to the victims. A minute of silence will also be observed ahead of the fixture in memory of the victims.
Along with that, players will also wear practice jerseys bearing the number 11 during the warm-up ahead of 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 who lost their lives.
In the memory of our 11 dear fans. 🙏
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) March 28, 2026
Etched into Chinnaswamy, forever part of our RCB family. ♥️#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2026 #RCBvSRH pic.twitter.com/8nhpmWVZ4e
BCCI cancels opening ceremony
Earlier, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) also decided to skip the opening ceremony ahead of the match to pay homage to the victims, informed secretary Devajit Saikia. Notably, a day after RCB won its maiden IPL title last year, victory celebrations were held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which witnessed a sea of fans trying to get into the stadium.
Lack of proper arrangements to handle the large crowd, unfortunately, led to a stampede which killed 11 fans. KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad earlier also shed light on the decision to have a memorial dedicated to the victims. He mentioned that the intention behind it was to remember them rather than reignite the pain. Prasad also shared that the decision was jointly taken by the board as well as the franchise.
