New Delhi: IPL 2026 is just moments away, with the opening match to be played between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
RCB will be captained by Rajat Patidar, while SRH will be captained by Ishan Kishan.RCB will also wear black armbands during their match against SRH to honor the fans who tragically lost their lives in the stampede outside the stadium after the team’s historic title win last year.
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“Royal Challengers Bengaluru will pay tribute to the 11 RCB family members who tragically lost their lives in the unfortunate incident that occurred on June 4,” a statement from RCB said.
“As a sign of respect, players will wear training jerseys bearing the number 11 during the warm-up, followed by black armbands during the match.”“In a lasting gesture of remembrance, eleven seats at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium will remain vacant, serving as a lasting tribute to the fans whose unwavering support will always be part of the RCB family,” the statement concluded.11 people were killed and several others were injured in a stampede outside the stadium during victory celebrations last year.
“Kohli is incredibly hungry”Virat Kohli is hungry and at the “peak of his powers”, coach Andy Flower has said, as Indian Premier League side RCB are set to begin their title defence.Former captain Kohli, who retired from Tests and T20 internationals, now represents India only in the 50-over format.“Virat is in really good shape mentally,” Flower told reporters.“He’s very comfortable with himself but he’s still incredibly hungry, and watching him hit the ball in training, he looks like he’s at the peak of his powers.”
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What do you think of RCB’s decision to keep eleven seats vacant during matches?
“It was very satisfying professionally for everyone, of course, but it was a really emotional time for all kinds of reasons at the end of last season,” Flower told reporters.“It’s another time, so it’s time to move on from that.”