A major controversy erupted after the IPL 2026 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Friday, May 22. Following the 55-run defeat, star RCB batsman Virat Kohli refused to shake hands with SRH opener Travis Head during the traditional post-match greeting.
Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 55 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Chasing a mammoth target of 256 runs, Bengaluru could only score 200/4 in 20 overs. Despite the defeat, RCB remained on top of the table while Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to play in the eliminator.
Why did Virat Kohli refuse to shake hands with Travis Head?
Virat Kohli was seen ignoring Travis Head during the post-match handshake after Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore. A viral video showed Head shaking hands, but Virat Kohli moved on without acknowledging the Australian opener.
Tension started between the two players during the match. Kohli celebrated aggressively after Rasikh Salam Dar dismissed Head for 26 off 16 balls. Later during RCB’s chase, words were exchanged between Virat Kohli and Head when Venkatesh Iyer was batting.
Kohli mocked Head with “Impact sub” gestures and also asked him to bowl some balls. However, when Kohli was out after scoring 15 runs off 11 balls, Head responded, “Dude, you’re out before I even come to bowl.”
It is uncomfortable to see extreme bad behavior from a person of such stature, this was not expected from Virat Kohli #SRHvsRCB pic.twitter.com/cTfMV9RuDD
– Avnish (@avnish26) 22 May 2026
Tension increased due to high voltage clash#TATAIPL Playoff race 2026 #SRHvRCB | LIVE NOW https://t.co/52qPTW2gSO pic.twitter.com/JOiWaxNW6T
– Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) 22 May 2026
Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore
Sunrisers Hyderabad scored huge scores with the aggressive batting of the top order. Ishan Kishan scored 79 off 46 balls and won the Player of the Match award, while Abhishek Sharma scored 56 off just 22 balls as SRH posted 255/4 in 20 overs.
Heinrich Klaasen added the final momentum with a quickfire 51 off 24 balls before Hyderabad bowlers effectively controlled the chase. Pat Cummins brought Travis Head out to bowl for the first time this season.
The Australian immediately made an impact by dismissing Rajat Patidar, who scored 56 off 39 balls before being caught by Smaran Ravichandran. Head conceded only seven runs in his over as Sunrisers Hyderabad restricted Royal Challengers Bangalore to 200/4 despite Krunal Pandya’s unbeaten 41.
Royal Challengers Bangalore secure top spot despite heavy defeat
Despite the heavy defeat, Royal Challengers Bangalore still achieved their main objective. By crossing the 200-run mark and avoiding big loss margins, they preserved their improved net run rate and topped the final league standings, thereby securing their place in Qualifier 1.
At the end of the league stage, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad all finished with 18 points. However, due to poor net run rate, Sunrisers Hyderabad finished third and will play the eliminator against the fourth-placed team on May 27.
While the top three spots have been officially confirmed, the race for the final playoff spot remains open. Rajasthan Royals (RR), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are still fighting for qualification with three league matches left.
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