In a major call by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will reportedly skip the opening ceremony in respect and remembrance for the victims of the stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru last year.
According to a report in TOI, BCCI has decided to do away with the traditional ceremony as a mark of respect for the tragedy that claimed 11 lives during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL 2026 victory parade.
Instead of the opening ceremony, BCCI and the IPL governing council are planning to close out the 19th edition of the IPL with a grand ceremony on the day of the final on May 31.
“Due to last year’s tragic incident on June 4 last year, there will be no formal function on the day of the start of IPL-2026 (in Bengaluru). The BCCI is not organising any cultural or entertainment show at the start of IPL-19 as a mark of respect to the departed souls due to that tragedy on June 4, 2025,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told media.
“However, the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council are planning a grand entertainment function at the closing of the IPL, on the day of the final (May 31),” he added.
Last year, the opening ceremony of the IPL 2025 was held at the Eden Gardens, where Bollywood superstar and KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, singers Shreya Ghoshal and Karan Aujla and actress Disha Patani mesmerised the fans with their performances.
This will not be the first time BCCI has skipped the opening ceremony. Following the Pulwama attack in 2019, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel, the Supreme Court-appointed COA had scrapped the grand celebrations ahead of the 12th edition of the lucrative T20 league. The allocated funds for the opening ceremony were donated to the victims’ families.
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