Royal Challengers Bangalore to wear black armbands during IPL 2026 opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad

Bengaluru: When the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team takes the field on Saturday for their opening match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the players will be wearing black armbands. This gesture is intended to pay tribute to the fans who lost their lives in a stampede that occurred during a victory parade on June 4 last year.

What did RCB say?

In a statement released prior to the match, RCB announced: "Royal Challengers Bangalore will pay tribute to the eleven members of the RCB family who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident that took place on June 4. As a mark of respect, the players will wear jerseys bearing the number 11 during the warm-ups and will wear black armbands during the match itself. Furthermore, in honor of their fans, eleven seats at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will be left vacant."

How did the tragedy take place?

Last year, 11 people died and several others were injured in a stampede that broke out outside the stadium during a victory parade. Following this incident, several major tournaments—including the ICC Women's ODI World Cup and the state's KSCA Maharaja Trophy League—were relocated to other venues due to security concerns. Additionally, no T20 World Cup matches were played at this stadium this year.

Subsequently, the return of cricket to this venue appeared to be a daunting task; however, through the collective efforts of the Karnataka Government and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), this seemingly impossible challenge was made possible. Acting on the recommendations of an expert committee appointed by the government, the Karnataka Cabinet granted approval in February for the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to host Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. This decision has sparked a wave of jubilation among RCB fans. RCB is scheduled to play five matches at their home ground this season. The team now has the opportunity to become only the third franchise—after Mumbai and Chennai—to successfully defend the IPL trophy.