In the first match of IPL 2026, played between hosts Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28, 11 empty seats were spotted.
The vacant seats raised eyebrows, as tickets for RCB's home games are usually hard to get, making empty seats highly unusual. For the uninitiated, these empty seats symbolise the death of 11 people in a stampede last year during RCB’s victory parade outside the stadium.
Former Indian cricketer and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) president Venkatesh Prasad had said on March 25 that the state board would keep 11 seats vacant for all IPL and international matches as a mark of respect.
Prasad added that a special prayer was held to pay homage to the RCB fans who lost their lives in the stampede.
“A special prayer was held at the KSCA to pay homage to the lives we lost and to assure their families that we care for them. We will keep 11 seats vacant and not sell them, whether for IPL or international matches,” Prasad told ANI.
{{/usCountry}}“A special prayer was held at the KSCA to pay homage to the lives we lost and to assure their families that we care for them. We will keep 11 seats vacant and not sell them, whether for IPL or international matches,” Prasad told ANI.
{{/usCountry}}RCB also posted a video on on X before the start of the match, stating the same. They also informed that all the players will be playing with number 11 on their back in the match against SRH and will also wear a black armband, to mark their respect towards the 11 fans who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident last year. The video was captioned as: “In the memory of our 11 dear fans. Etched into Chinnaswamy, forever part of our RCB family.”
Karnataka home minister G. Parameshwara said the KSCA has installed a memorial in remembrance of the 11 people who died.
“We had an incident in which 11 youngsters died at this very spot in the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Karnataka government, the cricket association, and RCB were criticised and condemned at the time. Subsequently, the government constituted a commission headed by Justice John Michael D’Cunha, who submitted a report with serious recommendations,” he said.
The Karnataka government, on Marh 16, had granted clearance to the KSCA to host IPL 2026 matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium after completing the required safety upgrades.
The state home minister said that all due checks have been done to ensure the safety of the fans during the home games. “The government has permitted the March 28 match after all necessary corrections were carried out by the KSCA. A committee comprising officials from the police, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and other departments has expressed satisfaction with the measures implemented,” Parameshwara said, according to PTI.
Speaking to reporters, he added that the police, KSCA and RCB have made all necessary preparations for the IPL’s opening match at the venue. “Clear instructions have also been issued to ensure that such incidents are not repeated, and all stakeholders have agreed to comply,” he said.