Memorial plaque, 11 seats to honour Chinnaswamy stampede victims: RCB, KSCA

Bengaluru, 4 June 2026 — One year after the tragedy that cast a pall over Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL title celebrations, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium will open its gates on Saturday with a permanent reminder of the 11 lives lost in the stampede outside its walls. In a joint initiative, the Karnataka State Cricket Association and the franchise have commissioned a memorial plaque and reserved 11 seats that will never be sold again, ensuring the victims—among them a 14-year-old—remain part of every match-day narrative.

The bronze plaque, to be unveiled near the stadium’s inner entrance adjacent to the iconic mural, will bear the names of those who died on 4 June 2025 when jubilant crowds surged toward the gates. KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad described the location as “a space for quiet reflection amid the roar of cricket,” deliberately positioned so every spectator must pass it on the way to the stands. Eleven premium seats in a single block of the pavilion will be cordoned off for life, their arm-rests carrying small brass plates etched with each victim’s name. The seats will remain empty for IPL, domestic and international fixtures alike, creating a silent guard of honour inside the arena.

Prasad confirmed the plans after months of consultation with the association’s managing committee and RCB stakeholders. “We don’t want to reopen wounds,” he told TOI, “but we refuse to let their memory fade. These were cricket fans who came to celebrate our sport; they deserve a permanent place within it.” While he declined to specify the exact stand, he emphasised that the franchise, as co-tenants of the stadium, endorsed every detail.

Before the season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad, RCB will lead a brief remembrance ceremony. The victims’ names will flash on the giant screen, followed by a minute’s silence observed by players and fans. The visitors have agreed to stand alongside the home side in solidarity. Officials likened the tribute to the Hillsborough Memorial at Liverpool’s Anfield, where 97 empty seats and an eternal flame honour those who died in the 1989 stadium disaster.

As defending champions, RCB step onto the field carrying both silverware and sorrow. The empty seats and the plaque will ensure that last year’s joy and heartbreak are woven into every cheer that echoes around Chinnaswamy this season—and for every season to come.