RCB players to have No 11 on training shirts to honour 11 fans killed in Chinnaswamy stampede

The management of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) said the players will have No 11 on the back of their training shirts during the IPL in honour of 11 fans who died in a stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, 2025.

The stampede was triggered by poor crowd management during RCB’s IPL-winning celebrations inside the venue. RCB officials were arrested in connection with the case, which is ongoing in the Karnataka High Court.

The franchise faced heavy criticism for the incident. Ahead of the upcoming edition of the IPL, RCB CEO Rajesh Menon addressed the media. “All the players will have jersey No 11 on their back; not for the game, but for the practice. This is a tribute to our fans, who will always remain a part of our journey,” Rajesh Menon said.

“Apart from that, they will be also wearing black armbands on that day. We are also looking at having 11 permanent seats empty in Chinnaswamy Stadium. This is for the 11 fans who will be with us forever,” he said.

The RCB will play their season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28. The reigning champions will play two of their home matches at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur.