EXPLAINED: Why RCB Players Opt For Jersey No. 11 in IPL 2026 Opener vs SRH at Chinnaswamy— Details

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru players will be wearing jersey no.11 during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 opening fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad at home, the franchise CEO Rajesh Menon announced. The IPL 2026 is scheduled to begin on March 28. 

This is a gesture from the franchise in memory of the 11 people who died during a stampede that occurred outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium when RCB were celebrating their maiden title triumph last year.

RCB will also be placing a memorial plaque near the stadium’s inner entrance. “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,” news agency IANS quoted sources as saying.

What Exactly Happened?

The fans had gathered in and outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate RCB’s historical triumph in IPL on June 4, 2025. A stampede 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.

A compensation of INR 25 lakh was announced for the families of each deceased individual by the franchise. 

Chinnaswamy Stadium Earlier Barred From Hosting Public Event

After the unfortunate incident, M Chinnaswamy Stadium was barred from hosting public event. Later, the state government gave
the approval to host IPL 2026 matches at the venue after necessary upgradation. 

11 Seats At Chinnaswamy Stadium To Remain Empty 

11 seats will be kept empty to honour the lives of those who died in the stampede following their title victory last season throughout all domestic and internationals games at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, CEO Rajesh Menon said.

 “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.

RCB to Begin Title Defence on March 28

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will begin the campaign against SRH on March 28. RCB, led by Rajat Patidar will come into the tournament as defending champions. The side won their first IPL title in 2025 after beating Punjab Kings in the finale last year in Ahmedabad. 

Traditionally, the two finalists of the last season play each other in the first match of the next edition but the BCCI has broken the rend this time as RCB will now lock horns with SRH. The Sunrisers have won the IPL once back in 2016 when they defeated RCB in the summit clash. 

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