Virat Kohli Snubs Travis Head in Post-Match Handshakes After SRH vs RCB IPL 2026

Virat Kohli found himself at the centre of controversy during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2026 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad after an on-field exchange with Australian batter Travis Head appeared to escalate following the match. The tense moment unfolded during RCB’s chase of a daunting 256-run target at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

The incident occurred shortly after Kohli struck two boundaries during the powerplay. Television cameras captured the former RCB captain exchanging words with Head, who responded with a smirk while fielding for Hyderabad. The exact reason behind the verbal exchange remained unclear, but the moment quickly drew attention among fans and commentators as tensions rose in the high-pressure league-stage encounter.

Kohli’s outing with the bat, however, was brief. The star batter managed 15 runs off 11 deliveries before being dismissed as RCB struggled to keep pace with the mammoth target. Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad piled up 255/4 through aggressive contributions from Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, continuing their attacking batting approach that has defined much of their season.

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The post-match handshake line added further fuel to the controversy. As players exchanged greetings after the game, Head extended his hand towards Kohli, but the RCB veteran appeared to walk past him without acknowledging the gesture. Kohli was seen shaking hands with players immediately before and after Head, including Ishan Kishan, while the Australian opener briefly looked back as Kohli moved ahead.

Despite suffering a heavy 55-run defeat, RCB still achieved their primary objective of finishing at the top of the IPL 2026 points table. Bengaluru needed to cross the 166-run mark to secure a top-two finish and protect their superior Net Run Rate, a target they comfortably achieved by ending on 200/4. Rajat Patidar’s composed 56 and Krunal Pandya’s unbeaten 41 proved crucial in helping RCB navigate the qualification equation.

The result meant RCB finished the league stage on top with a Net Run Rate of +0.783, ahead of Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who also ended with 18 points. Hyderabad’s victory margin was not enough to overtake Bengaluru in the standings, forcing Pat Cummins’ side into the Eliminator despite producing one of the most dominant batting displays of the season.

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