Virat Kohli ignores handshake with Travis Head, moment goes viral: Watch

The heat was on during the IPL 2026 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Friday, May 22. As SRH walked away with a dominant 55-run victory, social media was quick to ignite a tense post-match moment involving SRH’s Indian batting legend Virat Open.

A viral clip doing the rounds online shows Kohli completely ignoring the customary post-match handshake with the Australian left-hander. While Kohli warmly shook hands with SRH skipper Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, his quick bypass of Heada became the talk of the night.

SRH vs RCB: UPDATE | SCORECARD

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Virat Kohli did not shake Travis Head’s hand after the match. pic.twitter.com/74UEXm1aUV— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) May 22, 2026

HOW THE KOHLI-HEAD DRAMA DEVELOPED

The post-match insult was not an isolated incident; friction increased throughout the evening. During the first innings, Kohli uncorked an extremely lively celebration when Head was cleaned up by Rasikh Salam Dar on 26.

The battle of words came to a head during RCB’s steep chase of 256. Kohli was seen exchanging heated words with Head and even gestured aggressively, urging the Australian to come into the attack and try his luck with the ball. In a cinematic twist, Head came into the game later in the innings and promptly picked up the massive wicket of RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, who was strong on 56 off 39 deliveries.

ISHAN KISHAN, ABHISHEK SHARMA POWER SRH

Powered by explosive half-centuries from Ishan Kishan, who smashed a dazzling 79 off 46 balls to claim the Man of the Match award, and Abhishek Sharma, who smashed 56 off just 22 deliveries, SRH piled up a mammoth 255 for 4. Heinrich Klaasen added a disciplined 51 for Hyabad. the bowling unit stifled RCB’s momentum and restricted the visitors to 200 for 4 despite Patidar’s fighting fifty and Krunal Pandya’s unbeaten 41.

IPL 2026 PLAYOFF: TOP 3 CONFIRMED

Despite the crushing defeat, RCB had the silver lining. Thanks to their Net Run Rate (NRR) cushion, they have managed to retain their spot in the top two rankings, keeping them in prime position for knockouts.

As the league stage comes to its business end, RCB, Gujarat Titans and SRH are level on 18 points with NRR deciding their final place in the playoffs. While the top three spots are now officially locked, the battle for the fourth and final playoff spot remains wide open, with Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders fighting to make it to the knockouts.

– The end

Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

23 May 2026 07:36 IST

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