Split by the playing surface and hemmed in by nets, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad practiced side by side, batters from both teams hitting the cover off the cricket ball. Around the cleaning of the seats and the removal of the cobwebs, the staccato ‘thwack, thwack, thwack’ of willow meeting and disdainfully despatching leather was unmistakable as the gauntlet was laid down at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Readying for its first competitive fixture in nearly 11 months, the Chinnaswamy has undergone a sea of external change necessitated by the tragic events of June 4, which turned victory celebrations into a tragedy of unspeakable proportion. Less than 24 hours previously, the RCB men had broken a 17-year duck and lifted the title for the first time. Tens of thousands had gathered in and around the venue to herald the arrival of the champions, but the lack of preparedness in crowd control and mixed messaging contributed to 11 lives being snuffed out needlessly and prematurely.