RCB's Tribute: Honoring Lost Fans with New Safety Protocols

Royal Challengers Bengaluru players are set to pay tribute to fans who tragically lost their lives in a stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium after the team's historic Indian Premier League title win last season. Players will don jersey number 11 during their warm-up for the first home game of the 2026 season, accompanied by black armbands during the match. Eleven seats will also remain empty in honor of the deceased fans, announced Chief Executive Officer Rajesh Menon at a pre-season press conference.

Menon emphasized that the tribute is a gesture to remember fans who are an integral part of RCB's journey. He detailed extensive efforts to guarantee a safe matchday experience at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the site for five home games this season. Menon expressed gratitude towards the government for aiding these initiatives, undertaken vigorously since June 4, to meet all court-mandated SOPs and protocols.

New operational guidelines have been established, as outlined by Menon, reflecting revised agreements among BCCI, KSCA, and RCB. The KSCA will be the main organizer, with the franchise overseeing standard operating procedures, emergency plans, and ensuring no breaches occur. Enhanced crowd management strategies now include AI-led CCTV monitoring, facilitated by the tool Jarvis, to provide real-time crowd analytics to stadium officials and law enforcement agencies. Approximately ₹7 crore have been invested in upgrading crowd management infrastructure to improve safety and monitoring.