The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is set to honour the 11 lives lost in the tragic stampede on June 4, 2025. According to a Times of India report, the commemorative plaque will be placed near the inner entrance. Additionally, 11 seats within the stadium will be permanently reserved in the lasting tribute to those who died.
The June 4 at stampede occurred when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were holding their celebrations at the stadium after winning the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). A reported 56 people also suffered injuries due to the crush.
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Following the stampede, the stadium did not hold any top-flight matches up until it received the necessary clearance. Earlier this month, a government-appointed Expert Committee cleared the stadium to have matches for the upcoming season of the IPL.
The stadium will be hosting the opening match of the new season of the IPL which will be played between hosts RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28. Both the teams will pay tributes to the victims of the tragedy by observing a minute's silence.
Speaking to Times of India, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) President Venkatesh Prasad said: “It is painful to even think about the tragic incident. But we have been discussing the memorial for a while with the major stakeholders and collectively felt it was important to honour the memory of the 11 people."
"We don't want to rekindle any pain; instead, remember them. That's why we decided to place an epitaph of the cricket fans whose lives were cut short tragically."
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The stadium will play host to five of RCB's seven home games. Two other home games will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Stadium in Raipur. Additionally, the stadium will also stage of the three playoff games and this season's final.
The IPL has released a partial schedule for the season, due to the upcoming state elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. As per the released schedule, RCB and Chennai Super Kings will play a game there on April 5.
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