Sports / Fri, 22 May 2026 India Today

Virat Kohli and Travis Head share verbal banter during SRH vs RCB

Look at Travis Head. when Virat Kohli is saying so many things to him, he still gives a very calm and normal reaction. Many times we have seen that Travis Head believes in answering with his bat, not with his mouth. Following SRH’s 55-run win over RCB in Hyderabad, Kohli avoided Travis Head during the customary post-match handshakes. Kohli Totally ignored Travis Head, Shaken hands with Cummins and Abhishek and the rest of the players.

Royal Challeneger Bengaluru's Virat Kohli was involved in an animated exchange with Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head during the Indian Premier League clash between the franchises at the Uppal Stadium on Friday, May 22. The match, which carried significant implications in the race for a top-two finish, saw tensions rise between the two star batters during the game.

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The incident occurred during Shivang Kumar’s first over of the innings, when Venkatesh Iyer was attacking the bowler aggressively and scoring freely around the ground. Amid the onslaught, Kohli was seen gesturing toward Head, who was fielding at mid-wicket region, seemingly asking him to come and bowl.

Commentators on the broadcast interpreted Kohli’s gestures as him telling Head, “Come, bowl some off-spin.”

As Venkatesh continued his assault, smashing 23 runs off the over, Kohli repeatedly engaged with Head from the non-striker’s end, encouraging the Australian opener to try his luck with the ball. Eventually, Kohli was also seen waving Head away in what appeared to be a light-hearted exchange.

While the moment was largely viewed as playful banter between two aggressive competitors, Kohli’s expressions carried his trademark intensity. Head, meanwhile, responded with a nod, adding further intrigue to the interaction between the two players.

However, Kohli’s own innings did not last long enough for the banter to continue in a more direct contest. The former RCB captain struggled to find rhythm during the chase and was eventually dismissed for 15 after hitting a delivery from Sakib Hussain straight to the cover fielder.

Head did come out to bowl in the 18th over of the game and took the wicket of RCB captain Rajat Patidar on his second ball.

WHY WAS KOHLI ANGRY WITH HEAD?

While that was the standout moment involving the two during the match, it wasn't the only moment. In another instance, as Head moved across the field to adjust his position, he crossed paths with Kohli, who again appeared to mouth a few words toward the Australian batter.

Earlier in the first innings, Sunrisers Hyderabad batters had dominated the Bengaluru bowling attack, piling up a massive total of 256 runs in their 20 overs. Head was among the key contributors before eventually losing his wicket. Animated Virat Kohli after Travi Head's wicket (Photo: Screen grab from X)

Following Head’s dismissal, Kohli was seen celebrating animatedly from the field, making a scream-like gesture in the direction of the departing batter. The celebration quickly caught attention on social media, especially given the visible exchanges between the two players later in the game.

The apparent tension between the two players seemed to carry on even after the match. Following SRH’s 55-run win over RCB in Hyderabad, Kohli avoided Travis Head during the customary post-match handshakes.

Kohli Totally ignored Travis Head, Shaken hands with Cummins and Abhishek and the rest of the players. pic.twitter.com/z8LSDaHBy7— U' (@toxifyxe) May 22, 2026

Even after suffering such a crushing defeat, RCB achieved the bigger objective by securing a top-two finish and sealing their place in Qualifier 1, which gives them two chances to reach the IPL final.

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Published By: Naman Suri Published On: May 22, 2026 23:26 IST