Irfan Pathan Explains Virat Kohli-Travis Head Spit, Says RCB Star Plays With ‘Aussie-Style Intensity’

Virat Kohli and Travis Head (Image: X) Addressing the fiery on-field exchange between Virat Kohli and Travis Head during the IPL 2026 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Irfan Pathan said Kohli thrives on “Australian-style intensity” when playing the game.The heated moment became one of the biggest talking points of the match after Kohli appeared visibly animated during RCB’s chase of 256 and later ignored Head during the post-match handshakes.In an interview with JioHotstar, Pathan described the incident as a natural consequence of high-pressure cricket and competitive emotions during a crucial IPL encounter.“Virat Kohli has always enjoyed playing cricket with the aggressive intensity of the Australian style, a bit of banter, competitiveness and emotion on the field,” Pathan said.“During that moment, he asked Travis Head to come on and take a few deliveries instead of staying off the field as a substitute.Pathan added that such verbal exchanges are common in elite cricket, especially when teams are fighting for key positions in the playoffs.“These kinds of exchanges are quite natural in high-pressure games, especially when both teams are vying for key positions in the points table. In the end, it was simply part of the intensity and competitive spirit that comes with cricket at the highest level.”

The tension between the two players escalated even more after the match ended.As the players lined up for the customary post-match handshake, Head extended his hand to Kohli. However, the former RCB captain seemed to completely ignore the Australian opener and walked past him without acknowledging the gesture. However, Kohli was seen giving warm greetings to other SRH players, including captain Pat Cummins and opener Abhishek Sharma.The incident quickly went viral on social media, with fans debating whether Kohli’s reaction crossed the line or just reflected the intensity of the contest.SRH dominate RCB in high-scoring encountersOn the field, SRH produced a dominant all-round performance to beat RCB by 55 runs.Led by the batting, Pat Cummins amassed a massive 255/4, powered by explosive knocks from Ishan Kishan (79), Abhishek Sharma (56) and Heinrich Klaasen (51). Nitish Kumar Reddy also provided late success with an unbeaten 29.RCB started their chase aggressively through Venkatesh Iyer who smashed 44 off just 19 deliveries but regular wickets derailed the chase. Skipper Rajat Patidar scored 56 while Krunal Pandya remained unbeaten on 41 but RCB eventually finished at 200/4. Young pacer Eshan Malinga starred with the ball for SRH and took 2/33 in a commanding victory that helped Hyderabad secure third place in the IPL 2026 points table heading into the playoffs.