Virat Kohli Armband - (Source: AP Images)
On Saturday, March 28, the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kickstarted in Bengaluru. Defending champions RCB locked horns against SRH at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in a repeat of the 2016 IPL final.
For the opening game, Rajat Patidar and Ishan Kishan walked out for the toss with a black armband around their sleeve. Not just the skippers but the rest of the squad donned black armbands around their sleeve for the IPL 2026 opener.
The fans were curious and all over the internet asking the same question. Therefore, this article will shed light on this.
RCB And SRH Honour Stampede Victims Ahead Of IPL 2026 Opener
Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad donned the black armband to honour the stampede victims who lost their lives last year. Notably, on June 4, 2025, RCB held a title-winning ceremony at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where 11 people lost their lives due to overcrowding.
Ahead Of The start of the match, the two teams stood in a line and paid a minute tribute at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The fans too stood from their seats to pay homage to the lost lives.
Notably, the champions also put a video on their social media platforms where they revealed the reason behind donning black armband on the jersey.
The celebrations quickly turned into sorrow, leading to chaos. What followed was a police case, and the Chinnaswamy Stadium was banned from hosting IPL games.
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Eventually, the KSCA convinced the Karnataka government to allow them to host IPL games at the venue with a promise to ensure safety and security.
RCB Reserve 11 Seats At Chinnaswamy Stadium For Stampede Victims
Ahead of the first match of IPL 2026, RCB made a special gesture for the 11 people who lost their lives in the stampede. Notably, the defending champions reserved 11 seats, which will stay empty at the Chinnaswamy Stadium forever from now on. It was a special move that was highly praised by the fans.
Notably, the Challengers also made sure that the players wear jersey No.11 in training sessions to pay tribute to the victims. Even for the pre-match training at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Virat Kohli was spotted wearing the No.11 jersey.
Not just RCB, but the BCCI and IPL governing bodies honoured the lost souls and decided not to have any opening ceremony for IPL 2026. Unlike last year’s glimmer and entertainment, there will be no dance or musical ceremony ahead of the RCB vs SRH match.
RCB Ready For IPL 2026 Challenge
Despite the setbacks faced in the past one year, the defending champions are ready for the upcoming season. Rajat Patidar, at the toss, promised the fans of trying for another title in the ongoing edition.
"Of course, there are a lot of positives from the last year. We are not going into defending anything. We are playing to become the champions. There are a lot of good players in the side, everyone is fit and looking forward to this game. We'll try our best to put a second star on the jersey," remarked Rajat.
Notably, RCB won the toss and opted to field first against SRH in match 1 of IPL 2026.
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