The heat was well and truly on during the IPL 2026 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Friday, May 22. While SRH walked away with a dominant 55-run victory, social media was quickly set ablaze by a tense post-match moment involving Indian batting legend Virat Kohli and SRH opener Travis Head.
A viral clip circulating online appears to show Kohli completely ignoring the customary post-match handshake with the Australian left-hander. While Kohli warmly shook hands with SRH captain Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan, his swift bypass of Head became the talk of the night.
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Virat Kohli didn’t shake hands with Travis Head after the match ended. pic.twitter.com/74UEXm1aUV— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) May 22, 2026
HOW THE KOHLI-HEAD DRAMA UNFOLDED
The post-match snub wasn’t an isolated incident; the friction had been building all evening. During the first innings, Kohli uncorked an extraordinarily animated celebration when Head was cleaned up by Rasikh Salam Dar for 26.
The verbal battle peaked during RCB’s steep chase of 256. Kohli was seen exchanging heated words with Head and even gestured aggressively, challenging the Australian to come into the attack and try his luck with the ball. In a cinematic twist, Head did come on to bowl later in the innings and promptly picked up the massive wicket of RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, who was going strong on 56 off 39 deliveries.
ISHAN KISHAN, ABHISHEK SHARMA POWER SRH
Powered by explosive half-centuries from Ishan Kishan, who smashed a dazzling 79 off 46 balls to claim the Player of the Match honours, and Abhishek Sharma, who blasted 56 off just 22 deliveries, SRH piled up a mammoth 255 for 4. Heinrich Klaasen added late fireworks with a 24-ball 51. In response, a disciplined Hyderabad bowling unit choked RCB’s momentum, restricting the visitors to 200 for 4 despite Patidar’s fighting fifty and Krunal Pandya’s unbeaten 41.
IPL 2026 PLAYOFFS: TOP 3 CONFIRMED
Despite the crushing defeat, RCB had a major silver lining. Thanks to their Net Run Rate (NRR) cushion, they managed to hold onto their spot in the top two of the standings, keeping them in a prime position for the knockouts.
As the league stage hits its business end, RCB, Gujarat Titans, and SRH all sit level on 18 points, with NRR deciding their final playoff seeding. While the top three spots are now officially locked in, the battle for the fourth and final playoff position remains wide open, with the Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders all fighting to sneak into the knockouts.
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