Virat Kohli snubbed Travis Head's handshake initiation after SRH vs RCB match
During the match Virat was seen being involved in a banter with Travis Head
RCB lost the match against SRH by 55 runs, while Virat got out at 15
Virat Kohli's massive stature in world cricket is undeniable, which mostly keeps him in the news, whether it's on or off the field. Royal Challengers Bengaluru's last league match in the Indian Premier League 2026 was one such example, where Virat's handshake snub to Travis Head brought him in the thick of things once again.
Virat Kohli and Travis Head got involved in a verbal banter during the match, which at first looked like the part and parcel of a high-intensity game, but things turned a bit sour after the match when Kohli snubbed Head's handshake approach during the customary post-match ritual.
What All Unfolded Between Virat And Head?
It began in the third over of the second innings of match 67 of IPL 2026, when RCB opener Venkatesh Iyer took down the youngster for boundaries and sixes. In response, Virat was seen making animated gestures to Travis Head, asking him to bowl, and also teasing him with the impact player gesture.
Head was being used as an Impact player by SRH for the majority of the tournament, but in the match against RCB, he was in the field; instead, Salil Arora was substituted for Harshal Patel.
Virat Kohli couldn't do much in the match and was eventually departed after scoring 15 runs as he mistimed a slower ball by Sakib Hussain, hitting it straight into the hands of Smaran Ravichandran, inside the circle.
As Kohli went to the dugout after getting out, Head went past him to join the celebrations with his teammates, and Virat was again seen saying something to Head while heading back.
How Did Former Players React To Virat's Handshake Snub
Former Indian all-rounder, Irfan Pathan came to Virat's defense and said that Virat has always played his cricket with the Australian-style intensity and his aggression on the field was an example of that.
“Virat Kohli has always enjoyed playing cricket with that aggressive Australian-style intensity, a bit of banter, competitiveness, and emotion on the field," JioStar expert Pathan said.
"During that moment, he was asking Travis Head to come on and bowl a few deliveries instead of remaining off the field as an impact substitute. These kinds of exchanges are quite natural in high-pressure games, especially when both teams are competing for crucial positions on the points table."
However, while Pathan backed Kohli's aggression on the field, he was also of the view that whatever transpired after the match in the post-match customary handshake could have been avoided by Virat Kohli.
"This could be avoided," these were Pathan's words on the handshake incident.
On the other hand former Indian spin maestro, Harbhajan Singh sided with Virat Kohli on the viral incident. The Punjab spinner in the post-match show said that the Virat's reaction on the field must have been a reaction of something said earlier by Head which wasn't caught of the camera
“Yeah, we don’t know what happened. We only saw what was shown on TV. Maybe Travis Head may have teased him and after that, Virat Kohli was also seen saying something to him. As a result, Kohli is not happy with him, which is why he did not shake hands with Head.”
Former India opener Abhinav Mukund was also taken aback by Virat's off-the-field response. “That’s something you don’t see very often with Virat,” he added.
How Did Fans React To The Viral Incident?
Even some of the ardent Indian cricket fans were surprised by Virat Kohli's reaction after the match and took to social media to express their views on the incident.
Despite losing the match by 55 runs, RCB finished the league stage at the top and have secure a final spot in Qualifier 1, where they'll be up against the Gujarat Titans in Dharamsala on May 26.
