Sawt Falasteen - Indian Premier League cricket season begins with silence to honour stampede dead

The richest league in cricket launches its latest season with title-holders Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

But this year was given a sombre opening, remembering how RCB's June 2025 title party turned to tragedy when 11 young supporters were killed in a stampede outside the stadium.

RCB players trained in 11 number jerseys, both teams wore black arm bands and then everyone in the stadium held a minute of silence in their memory.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) skipped the usual flashy fanfare opening ceremony to remember the deaths, but the mood at the start remained upbeat despite last year's tragedy.

A nearly-packed house greeted star player Virat Kohli and then skipper Rajat Patidar at the start and the crowd erupted when the home captain won the toss and elected to field first.

"Thank you so much for supporting (us) for so many years," said Patidar. "We will try our best to put a second star on our jersey."

RCB, along with the Karnataka state cricket association, left 11 seats empty as a tribute to the dead.

TV images of the cordoned area of 11 seats covered with white cloth and flower petals with a black stone engraved to honour the dead fans were shown ahead of the game.

"It was tragic no doubt, but tough to control things when so many people turn up," Rahul Mehra, an RCB fan told AFP.

"It sad for the families but what can we do, life goes on and hopefully the players can get another trophy for us."

The stadium was cleared to host games in the IPL after the BCCI deemed the venue unsafe due to structural and crowd management deficiencies, and moved important fixtures elsewhere.

The 2025 stampede took place a day after RCB won the final against Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad, and returned to a homecoming trophy parade.

Hundreds of thousands gathered on the streets to welcome their hero Kohli and his victorious teammates home.

More than 50 people were injured, following which officials and organisers were questioned by police but none convicted.

B.Khalifa--SF-PST