RCB and SRH players paid tribute to 11 fans who died in a stampede last year by observing a minute's silence ahead of the IPL 2026 opener. RCB will also wear black armbands and leave 11 seats at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium empty as a tribute.
A Sombre Start to IPL 2026
Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 opener, players from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) observed a one-minute silence to pay tribute to 11 fans who tragically lost their lives at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during celebrations last year.
https://x.com/IPL/status/2037896238922903975?s=20 11 fans died, and several were injured in the stampede outside the stadium during the victory celebrations of the RCB winning the title last year. Cricket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium had been suspended since June 2025.
RCB's Detailed Tribute
During the tournament opener against the Hyderabad-based franchise, the defending champions RCB will also wear black armbands.
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.
Match Commences: RCB Opts to Field
Meanwhile, Bengaluru won the toss and decided to field against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the tournament opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
At 27 years and 253 days, Ishan Kishan, who is the stand-in captain of Sunrisers, became franchises' second-youngest skipper, behind Kane Williamson (27y, 244d) in 2018.
Playing XIs Announced
Playing XI of 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. (ANI)
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