No handshake, plenty of heat! Virat Kohli-Travis Head tension goes viral after SRH vs RCB; what happened actually?

Sunrisers Hyderabad's win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday was marred by on0field handshake row that took the social media by storm. The Incident came to light on Saturday as several viral videos showed RCB's Virat Kohli refusing to shake hands with Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head after the game.

Both Sunrisers Hyderabad and RCB have already qualified for the IPL 2026 playoffs. Batting first, Sunrisers Hyderabad scored 255/4 in 20 overs, thanks to Ishan Kishan's 79 and half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen. In reply, RCB managed 200/4 despite a fifty from Rajat Patidar.

The Pat Cummins-led side could have finished in the top two had they restricted RCB within the 165-run mark. Gujarat Titans are the other team who have cemented their spot in the last four.

What happened between Virat Kohli & Travis Head?

The incident occurred during RCB's chase in the second innings of the match. chasing a daunting 256, Venkatesh Iyer gave RCB a flying start, alongside Kohli. While Iyer was the aggressor, Kohli played the supportive role. It was Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Travis Head, who started it all.

The Australian sparked an exchange and challenged Kohli to play attacking shots. The former Indian captain, always knock for his aggressive approach, responded in a verbal duel. In fact, it was understood that Kohli took a dig at Head's role as an impact player for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Kohli also mockingly made the "impact player" substitution gesture, a reference to Head, who is primarily a batter, often being replaced by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a specialist bowler after he finishes batting. However, Head didn't had to bowl to Kohli as the former RCB skipper fell to rookie Sakib Hussain for just 15 runs off 11 balls in the fifth over.

Virat Kohli-Travis Head's no handshake drama

During the customary handshakes by the two teams, Head lensed his hand out for Kohli but the Indian looked straight and walked past him, the video of which went viral on social media. Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan explained the incident and described it natural in high-profile games.

“Virat Kohli has always enjoyed playing cricket with that aggressive Australian-style intensity, a bit of banter, competitiveness, and emotion on the field,” Pathan said on JioHotstar. “During that moment, he was asking Travis Head to come on and bowl a few deliveries instead of remaining off the field as an impact substitute.

“These kinds of exchanges are quite natural in high-pressure games, especially when both teams are competing for crucial positions on the points table. In the end, it was simply part of the intensity and competitive spirit that comes with top-level cricket," added Pathan.

Despite the loss, RCB have already set up a date with Gujarat Titans IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 on May 26. Sunrisers Hyderabad will play in the Eliminator against either Kolkata Knight Riders or Punjab Kings or Rajasthan Royals.

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