IPL Dispatch: Virat Kohli Snubs Travis Head After On-Field Heat; PBKS Seek Last-Ditch Playoff Effort

A 55-run victory margin is a resounding one in T20 cricket. Drawing parallels with other formats, it is akin to an innings win in Tests, or a 100-plus run thrashing in one-day internationals. SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) stopped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) 55 runs short of their 255-run total in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Friday (May 22), yet did not end up the happier of the two sides.

ALSO READ: SRH Vs RCB Highlights

That is because anything better than a 90-run defeat at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium was enough for RCB to seal a top-two finish in the league phase. Rajat Patidar's men easily crossed said hurdle to close out their pre-playoff campaign at the top of the pile. A number of comprehensive triumphs in their earlier games held Bengaluru in good stead by virtue of a solid net run rate (NRR), which withstood the battering of Friday's loss.

Gujarat Titans (GT) followed closely in second and the SunRisers third, with the three sides possessing 18 points apiece and only their NRRs separating them (+0.783, +0.695 and +0.524 respectively). The Royal Challengers booked a Qualifier 1 meeting with GT at Dharamsala's picturesque HPCA Stadium on May 26; the losing team will have the luxury of an extra bite of the cherry, in the form of the subsequent Qualifier 2.

SRH, on the other hand, await results of the remaining fixtures to learn their Eliminator opponent. Rajasthan Royals (RR), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are all in the hunt for that fourth and final playoff berth, but the Royals are the frontrunners and the only side among the quartet with their destiny in their own hands.

Kohli Refuses Head Handshake

Besides the top-two race, the SRH vs RCB encounter bore added spice as what seemed like on-field banter between Virat Kohli and Travis Head bubbled over to the sacred post-match handshakes. Kohli is known to play hard and aggressive on the field, and be warm, jovial off it for the most part. But the senior Indian statesmen snubbed Head outrightly, leaving a bad taste in the mouth for several viewers and experts.

The duo had a heated exchange during RCB's pursuit of the big 256-run target. Kohli appeared to gesture to Head to come and bowl some of his off-spin, and the Australian southpaw frowned in response. A few more words were exchanged later, and the former India captain was so incensed in the aftermath that he refused to shake Head's outstretched hand.

Photo Of The Day

Amid his run-in with Head, Kohli fell prey to Sakib Hussain's artistry in the powerplay. The 21-year-old seamer has made his mark in IPL 2026 with his off-pace deliveries and he did the same on Friday, foxing the veteran with a slower delivery before finishing with impressive figures of 1/33 from his four overs.

In fact, all six balls of the sixth over of RCB's innings, sent down by Sakib, were slower ones and Kohli perished on the fifth, hitting it straight to cover. The youngster was overjoyed, and told commentator Ravi Shastri later that it was a "dream wicket".

Raghuvanshi Ruled Out

In a significant blow to KKR's last-ditch playoff hopes, Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament after sustaining a concussion and a fracture to a finger on his left hand. The injury occurred while attempting a catch against Mumbai Indians at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday (May 20).

The 21-year-old Raghuvanshi has had a successful run in this IPL, finishing with 422 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 146.52 with five half-centuries and an average of 42.20. In his absence, three-time IPL winners KKR will play their final league match against Delhi Capitals, who are out of the playoffs race, in Kolkata on Sunday.

Now Or Never For Punjab Kings

After starting the season with six wins from as many completed games, PBKS have inexplicably lost six matches on the bounce. They now visit the knocked-out Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Saturday, mandatorily needing a win to stay in playoff contention.

Placed fifth, Punjab not only must beat LSG in their final league game but also depend on Sunday's double headers (MI vs RR and KKR vs DC) to earn a place in the playoff. The Shreyas Iyer-led side would hope both Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders lose their respective matches. A Rajasthan Royals win over Mumbai would officially end Punjab's hopes, while a KKR victory over Delhi Capitals could bring net run rate into play.

IPL 2026 Points Table After Match 67

Quote Of The Day

Having smashed his sixth fifty of IPL 2026 and his fourth consecutive one against RCB, Hyderabad wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan credited his shot selection to his rapid growth as a top-flight cricketer.

"More than maturity, it's about shot selection. You (should) know when to play which shot, (and) who to target. I'm just trying to take one ball at a time, know the situation, understand the pitch and just play your shots," Kishan told the broadcaster at the post-match presentation.

On his rich vein of form against the Royal Challengers, the southpaw said, "I just take one match at a time, but I don't know why but I do feel confident when I'm playing against them and (at the) end of the day, fortune favours the brave and I just try to do my thing and it works in my way."

Elsewhere...

Vijay Shankar, the India all-rounder who went unsold at the latest IPL auction, has retired from domestic cricket and the cash-rich T20 league. The decision will help the 35-year-old play in overseas franchise leagues.

The Tamil Nadu stalwart captained his native state to Vijay Hazare Trophy, Deodhar Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy titles before switching to Tripura ahead of the 2025-26 season. He represented India in 12 ODIs and nine T20Is during his international career from 2018 to 2019.

Part of the country's 2019 ODI World Cup squad, Shankar’s final international match was against the West Indies in Manchester; a subsequent toe injury sidelined him from the remainder of the competition, which ultimately cost him his spot in the national team.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah returned to Pakistan's ODI squad for the upcoming three-match home series against Australia. The Pakistani selectors have named a 16-member squad, which includes two wicket-keepers. The series begins on May 30 in Rawalpindi, with the remaining two games to be played in Lahore on June 2 and 4. Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the ODI squad.