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Virat Kohli has been embroiled in a fresh controversy after his heated moment with Travis Head went viral during the IPL 2026 clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
In this match, Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 55 runs and qualified for the IPL 2026 playoffs, although the current champion has already made it to Qualifier 1.
Virat Kohli gets involved in heated exchange with Travis Head
However, the spat between Virat Kohli and Travis Head on the field is not stopping. The drama began during RCB’s chase of a mammoth target of 256 when the former Indian skipper looked very aggressive at the crease and engaged in banter with the explosive Australian opener.
Also Read: Virat Kohli fans give ‘Naveen-ul-Haq’ treatment to Travis Head after handshake controversy in IPL 2026
Kohli was reportedly teasing Head and asking him to come and bowl. The RCB star was also seen hitting the nail on the head regarding his role as an influential player this season. But Head had the last laugh as Kohli failed to make a big impact with the bat and was out for just 15 runs against SRH.
After Kohli’s wicket, Head reportedly mocked the RCB icon by saying, “Dude, you’re out before I even bowled,” and the Indian superstar took his revenge after the match. During the customary handshake, Head came forward and extended his hand towards Kohli, but the former RCB captain walked past him without even looking at him.
Irfan Pathan defends Virat Kohli’s aggressive attitude
The SRH opener looked surprised for a second before silently moving on. The video went viral on social media platforms within no time and many fans criticized Kohli for the gesture. Many believed that aggression on the field was normal, but that players should leave those feelings behind after the game.
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan supported Kohli’s aggressive style on the field. Cricket pundits said that Kohli likes to play with passion, energy and aggression, like many Australian cricketers do during big matches.
Irfan Pathan said on JioHotstar, “Yes, I was doing commentary at that time.” See, Virat also likes to play cricket like the Australians. A little bit of banter, a little bit of aggression, a little bit of ‘Okay, come on down and bowl some balls.’ That’s what he was saying, “You’re not an impressive player.” Generally, he is an impressive player, and he leads off the field. He asked him to bowl; Something had happened, and he was calling her too.
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This could have been avoided: Irfan Pathan on Virat Kohli’s handshake snub
Pathan also stressed that such banter is common in the game of cricket and players often try to put pressure on each other during stressful situations.
He said, “Look what happened after the game. I’m not going to talk too much about it. But what happened on the field, that’s OK, it happens. You want to play aggressively; you want to wear your heart on your sleeve and have that little funk, that little aggression.”
However, the former World Cup winner was not happy with how Kohli handled the situation during the handshake. Pathan signed off by saying, “This could have been avoided.”