Bengaluru, March 24 Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) CEO Rajesh Menon said that throughout all domestic and internationals games at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, 11 seats will be kept empty to honour the lives of those who died in the stampede following their title victory last season.
Menon also said that players will wear jersey No. 11 in practice matches throughout the season and don black armbands in all their matches in this edition.
“In memory of the 11 fans who we lost on June 4, the players will be wearing jersey number 11 for the practice, on the game day, on the practice time before the match. So all the players will have jersey number 11 on the back, not for the game but for the practice.
"Apart from that, they will be also wearing a black armband on that day. We are also looking at having 11 permanent seats empty in Chinnaswamy Stadium forever. This is for the 11 fans who will be with us forever. That’s a quick update on what we are doing this year,” Menon told the media during a press conference on Tuesday.
He further stated that several changes have been made this season as part of precautionary measures, and necessary safety steps are being implemented and discussions will be held on what more can be done for the victims' families in the future.
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 Rs 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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