Bengaluru, March 24 (IANS) As defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) prepare to start their IPL 2026 campaign at home in the opening match, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has teamed up with the franchise to honour the lives of those who died in the stampede following their title victory last season.

Before Saturday’s game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, officials will place a memorial plaque near the stadium’s inner entrance to provide a dedicated space for reflection. Additionally, 11 seats within the stadium will be permanently reserved in memory of the victims and will remain empty during all events held at the venue, including international matches.

This designated space will likely be located in a prominent stand and will serve as a quiet zone for remembrance.

“We’ll be unveiling a memorial plaque near the entrance and reserving 11 seats in the stadium in memory of the victims of the stampede. I can’t reveal much details right now. I suppose we will share further details about it in the press conference later in the day,” sources told IANS

On June 4, 2025, a tragic stampede took place outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru amid RCB’s victory celebrations. The disaster resulted in 11 fans losing their lives and over 50 sustaining injuries, caused by severe overcrowding with approximately 300,000 people present.

The Karnataka government held RCB, the Karnataka State Cricket Association, and event partners responsible for not obtaining the required approvals and for creating a disturbance. The franchise subsequently announced a compensation of ₹25 lakh for the families of each deceased individual.

Chinnaswamy Stadium has not hosted any RCB games since the tragic stampede. Now, with government approval, RCB will play five matches at Chinnaswamy, while two home games will be held in Raipur, as previously announced by the franchise.

–IANS

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