IPL 2026: RCB to wear jersey no 11 in practice to honour stampede victims

M Chinnaswamy Stadium (Pic: X)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru players will train wearing the No 11 jersey during the match days to honour the 11 fans who died in a tragic stampede last year. In addition to that, the franchise also plans to mark 11 permanent seats to honour the fans who lost their lives in RCB's title celebrations.

The fans had lost their lives here on June 4 in a stampede that was triggered by chaos during RCB's celebratory events after the team's maiden IPL trophy win. The franchise received criticism and the stadium was barred from hosting big events, but RCB have been permitted to host 5 IPL matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium this year.

"The players will be wearing jersey No.11 for the practice on the game day, the practice time before the match. This is a tribute to our fans, who will always remain a part of our journey." RCB CEO Rajesh Menon said.

"All the players will have jersey No.11 on their back, not for the game, but for the practice. Apart from that, they will also be wearing black sunglasses on that day. We are also looking at having 11 permanent seats in Chinnaswamy Stadium forever. This is for the 11 fans who will be with us forever," he added.

RCB will kick off their campaign against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 18 at their home stadium, Chinnaswamy. The Bengaluru-based franchise will play five matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium before playing their remaining two home matches at Raipur's Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium.

RCB announce various crowd measures for IPL 2026

Speaking to the media, Chief Executive Officer Rajesh Menon said that Royal Challengers Bengaluru have also introduced several new crowd management measures inside and around the stadium.

"We have significantly strengthened crowd management measures. We have implemented AI-led CCTV solutions across the stadium, including inside, the concourse, and surrounding areas, powered by an AI tool called Jarvis. This system provides real-time alerts, including stand-specific crowd counts, to ensure better monitoring and control. These CCTV feeds will also be accessible to the Commissioner's office for real-time monitoring." Rajesh Menon said.

(With PTI Input)