The former India captain was furious after Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 55 runs.
Published May 23, 2026
Tensions escalated between Virat Kohli and Travis Head in the Indian Premier League, with the former India captain refusing to shake the Australian batsman’s hand after Head’s Sunrisers Hyderabad suffered a 55-run defeat to Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The two exchanged heated words as Kohli took the lead against Bengaluru as they chased the formidable target of 256. During the exchange, a visibly angry Kohli was seen gesturing, “Head, come bowl.”
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Kohli also mockingly made an “impact player” substitution gesture, referring to Head, who is primarily a batsman and is often substituted with specialist bowlers in Hyderabad after the Australian players have finished batting.
Head didn’t have much time to tempt Kohli as Bangalore’s opener failed soon after, scoring 15 off 11 balls. However, the Australian bowled an over late in the match and dismissed Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar.
After the match, when each team lined up to shake hands, Head held out his hand, but Kohli looked straight ahead and walked past him.
Friday’s win moved third-placed Hyderabad level on points with Bengaluru, but Kohli’s side remained at the top with a superior net run rate. Both teams have qualified for the IPL playoffs starting Wednesday.
