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The latest season of the Indian Premier League commenced on Saturday with a poignant tribute at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Before the opening match between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad, a minute of silence was observed to honour the 11 young supporters who lost their lives in a tragic stampede during last June’s title celebrations.
In a sombre display of remembrance, RCB players trained in jerseys bearing the number 11, and both teams wore black armbands throughout the event.
To ensure the focus remained on the victims, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) opted to skip the league’s traditionally extravagant opening ceremony.
Inside the stadium, 11 seats were left intentionally vacant, cordoned off with white cloth and adorned with flower petals and an engraved black stone.
This tribute follows a period of intense scrutiny for the venue, which was briefly deemed unsafe due to crowd management deficiencies before being cleared to host this year’s fixtures with improved safety protocols.
Despite the heavy atmosphere at the start, the mood among the nearly full-capacity crowd shifted toward optimism once the game began.
Fans erupted in cheers for star player Virat Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar, who expressed his gratitude for the enduring support of the Bengaluru faithful.
While the memory of the 2025 tragedy—which occurred during a massive homecoming parade following RCB’s first title—remains fresh, the community and players alike signalled a collective desire to move forward while keeping the memory of the lost fans central to the season.
