Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the Indian Premier League champions, will reserve 11 seats in memory of the fans who died in a stampede last year, according to the team management.
The decision comes ahead of the new season, which begins on Saturday when RCB host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
RCB CEO Rajesh Menon said, “This is a tribute to our fans, who will always remain a part of our journey.” The team will also wear black armbands and warm up in tops with the number 11 to honour the victims.
Stadium Safety Measures
After the tragedy, authorities deemed the venue unsafe due to structural and crowd management deficiencies, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India recently said the stadium would host games, including RCB home fixtures.
Menon said crowd management measures have been “significantly strengthened”, including the installation of artificial intelligence-guided cameras to provide real-time alerts and better monitoring.
The stampede occurred in June after RCB won the IPL for the first time, resulting in the deaths of 11 supporters aged between 14 and 29, with over 50 people injured.
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