RCB Players to Wear Jersey No. 11 in Tribute to Stampede Victims

In a heartfelt gesture, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players will wear jersey No. 11 during practice sessions on match days in the upcoming IPL 2026 , honouring the fans who lost their lives in a tragic stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium last year.

The incident occurred on June 4, 2025 , during celebrations following RCB’s maiden IPL trophy win. The stampede, triggered by chaos as lakhs of fans thronged the streets, claimed 11 lives and drew widespread criticism of the franchise for inadequate crowd management and security arrangements.

RCB CEO Rajesh Menon said, “The players will be wearing jersey No.11 for practice before the match. This is not for the game itself, but to pay tribute. All players will also wear black sunglasses on that day.” The franchise also plans to mark 11 permanent seats at Chinnaswamy Stadium in memory of the victims, ensuring they are remembered at the venue “forever,” he added.

The defending champions will begin their IPL season on March 28 , hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chinnaswamy Stadium, the first of their five home matches. The remaining two home games will be held at Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium .

However, RCB will begin the season without fast bowler Yash Dayal , who will not join the squad due to a “personal situation,” as confirmed by the team’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat . The franchise has retained Dayal under contract, remains in regular contact, and continues to support him, but decided it is not in either party’s best interest for him to join at this time. Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood will also miss the opening matches as he recovers from hamstring and Achilles injuries , with the team maintaining close communication with Cricket Australia regarding his fitness. Both Dayal and Hazlewood were key contributors to RCB’s maiden IPL title last year, claiming 13 and 22 wickets respectively, and their absences present an early-season challenge for the defending champions.

Through these initiatives, RCB aims to honour the memory of fans while balancing the realities of player availability , reflecting both respect and responsibility as the team begins its title defence.