In addition to marking 11 permanent seats in memory of the supporters who perished in a terrible stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru last year, Royal Challengers Bengaluru players will train wearing jersey No. 11 on match days in the upcoming IPL.
On June 4, chaos at RCB’s celebratory events following the team’s first IPL trophy triumph led to a stampede that claimed the lives of the fans. The franchise received harsh criticism for how it handled the celebrations, which brought millions of people to the streets without the necessary security clearances.
“The players will be wearing jersey No.11 for the practice on the game day — the practice time before the match,” PTI quoted RCB CEO Rajesh Menon telling reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
“All the players will have jersey No.11 on their back; not for the game, but for the practice.
“Apart from that, they will be also wearing black sunglasses on that day. We are also looking at having 11 permanent seats in Chinnaswamy Stadium forever. This is for the 11 fans who will be with us forever,” he added.
The first of the defending champions’ five home games in Bengaluru will take place on March 28 when they play Sunrisers Hyderabad in the season opener.
Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur will host RCB’s final two IPL home games.
