BCCI Has taken a big decision regarding IPL 2026. He has canceled its opening ceremony. BCCI has taken this decision in respect of the people who lost their lives in the stampede during RCB’s victory procession in Bengaluru last year. 11 people lost their lives in the stampede that took place in Bengaluru. According to TOI report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has postponed the opening ceremony of IPL this season in his memory.
First match of IPL 2026 in Bengaluru itself
IPL 2026 is starting from March 28, in the very first match of which the teams of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad will face each other. This match will be played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru only. This is also a big reason why BCCI did not hold the opening ceremony of IPL 2026 before the first match.
Why will there not be an opening ceremony of IPL 2026?
RCB had won its first IPL title last season, after which during its celebration there was a stampede in Bengaluru on 4 June 2025. Due to the death of 11 people in that stampede, BCCI has decided not to hold the opening ceremony of that season. However, TOI quoted BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia as saying that the closing ceremony of the 19th season of IPL can be held on May 31. The final of IPL 2026 will be played on May 31 only, before which the closing ceremony can take place.
IPL opening ceremony has been postponed earlier also
The opening ceremony of the last season of IPL was held in Kolkata, in which artists like Shahrukh Khan, Shreya Ghoshal, Disha Patani and Karan Aujla performed.
This is not the first time that the opening ceremony of IPL has been postponed. Earlier, the opening ceremony of IPL 2019 was also not held in memory of the 40 CRPF soldiers martyred in the Pulwama attack. Then the money released for the opening ceremony was distributed among the families of the martyrs.