No opening ceremony to respect Bengaluru stampede victims:Chinnaswamy Stadium in race against time to host RCB vs SRH

The IPL 2026 season begins in less than 3 days. There will not be a grand opening ceremony this time around to pay homage to the 11 victims who lost their lives during the Bengaluru stampede. To show sensitivity and respect to the deceased, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have decided to skip the opening ceremony as the inaugural fixture will be played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Home team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won their maiden title last year, but 11 fans lost their lives during a stampede that erupted en route to the trophy celebrations. RCB CEO Rajesh Menon announced recently that 11 seats at the venue will always be kept vacant to pay homage to those who lost their lives during the stampede. Just beside the players’ entrance to the pavilion, a memorial plaque has been unveiled. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia revealed to TOI that the apex board will not be hosting an opening ceremony, in the wake of the tragedy last year on 4 June. He revealed further that the BCCI is planning to host a massive closing ceremony on the day of the final on 31 May. Last year, a grand ceremony was held at the Eden Gardens wherein Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Aujla performed alongside Disha Patani. Back in 2019, after the Pulwama attack, the BCCI had scrapped the opening ceremony and allocated those funds to the families of the 40 CRPF personnel killed. Chinnaswamy Stadium in race against time to host season opener Meanwhile, RCB’s home venue, Chinnaswamy Stadium, is in a race against time to host the season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 28th March. While the pitch and the outfield are in top-class condition, there is still plenty of infrastructure work being done in and around the stadium. Masons, carpenters, contractors and vendors have all been working day and night to get the venue ready for the opening night. ESPNcricinfo reported that the original deadline for the completion of the work was 15 March, but there is still plenty of construction work ongoing. After last year’s stampede, there have been plenty of measures being taken to ensure fans can get into their seats without trouble. Special police permission has been sought to ensure that the work can be completed before the iconic clash this Saturday.