RCB players to wear jersey No. 11 in tribute to fans lost in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise has confirmed that they are going to honour the loss of lives of 11 fans in the stampede that happened in June 2025 in front of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. RCB won the title for the first time, and hence, the people wanted to see their favourite players along with the trophy. 

The franchise organised a victory parade, but it didn't go as planned due to the stadium's capacity and the number of people who came out to watch. Hence, due to the presence of a large crowd, a stampede happened, and 11 lives were lost. To honour them, RCB management has decided to hold a one-minute silence on the first match day and wear black armbands as well. Meanwhile, they will also wear jersey No. 11 during the pre-match practice ahead of the tournament opener. 

“In memory of the 11 fans we lost on June 4th, the players will be wearing jersey No. 11 for the practice match. Apart from that, they’ll be wearing a black arm-band on that day. We are also looking at having 11 permanent seats empty in Chinnaswamy Stadium forever. This is for those 11 fans who will be with us forever,” said RCB CEO Rajesh Menon.

Watch the video here:

🚨BIG UPDATE ON RCB IN IPL 2026🚨

- Players to train with Number 11 Jersey.
- Players Wears Black Arm bands.
- RCB is looking to reserve 11 seats permanently at Chinnaswamy Stadium.

pic.twitter.com/K5VPLWa1MU

— Sam (@Cricsam01) March 24, 2026

The RCB franchise has also decided to keep 11 empty seats forever to honour the memories of the deceased. They wanted to show their respect and to always remember what a tragic loss it was. CEO Rajesh Menon addressed the media and revealed their plans for the upcoming season. 

KSCA supports RCB's plans 

Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) President Venkatesh Prasad has shown his support towards RCB's plans to honour the tragic loss of the fans in the stampede last year after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final. The stadium was initially banned by the BCCI, but after going through an inspection, it was given a green signal to host this season's matches. 

“It is painful to even think about the tragic incident. But we have been discussing the memorial for a while with the managing committee and other major stakeholders and collectively felt it was important to honour the memory of the 11 people. We don’t want to rekindle any pain; instead, remember them. That’s why we decided to place an epitaph of the cricket fans whose lives were cut short tragically,” said KSCA President Venkatesh Prasad as quoted by TOI.