Virat Kohli and Travis Head (Image: X)
Irfan Pathan spoke about the fiery on-field exchange between Virat Kohli and Travis Head during the IPL 2026 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, saying that Kohli thrives with “Australian-style intensity” while playing the game.The heated moment became one of the biggest talking points of the match after Kohli appeared visibly moved during RCB’s chase of 256 and later ignored Head during the post-match handshake.Speaking on JioHotstar, Pathan described the incident as a natural consequence of high-pressure cricket and competitive emotions during a crucial encounter in the IPL.“Virat Kohli has always enjoyed playing cricket with that Australian-style aggressiveness, bit of banter, competitiveness and passion on the field,” Pathan said.“During that moment, he was asking Travis Head to come in and throw some passes instead of staying out as an impact substitute.”Pathan added that such verbal exchanges are common in elite level cricket, especially when teams are vying for crucial playoff positions.“This type of exchange is quite normal in high-pressure matches, especially when the two teams are competing for crucial positions in the points table.
In the end, it was simply part of the intensity and competitive spirit that comes with top-level cricket.
Kohli shrugs the head during the handshake line
The tension between the players escalated further after the match ended.As the players lined up for the customary post-match handshake, Head extended his hand towards Kohli. However, the former RCB skipper seemed to completely ignore the Australian opener, passing him by without acknowledging the gesture.
Despite this, Kohli was seen giving a warm welcome to other SRH players, including captain Pat Cummins and opener Abhishek Sharma.The incident quickly went viral on social media, with fans debating whether Kohli’s reaction went too far or simply reflected the intensity of the competition.SRH dominates RCB in a high-scoring encounterOn the field, SRH produced a dominant all-round performance to defeat RCB by 55 runs.Batting first, the Pat Cummins-led side posted a mammoth figure of 255/4, buoyed by explosive batting from Ishan Kishan (79), Abhishek Sharma (56) and Heinrich Klaassen (51).
Nitish Kumar Reddy also produced a late flourish by scoring an unbeaten 29.RCB started their chase strongly through Venkatesh Iyer, who smashed 44 off just 19 deliveries, but regular wickets derailed the chase. Captain Rajat Patidar scored 56 while Krunal Pandya remained unbeaten with 41, but RCB eventually finished on 200/4. Young pacer Ishan Malinga impressed with the ball for SRH, taking 2/33 in a solid win that helped Hyderabad secure third place in the IPL 2026 points table ahead of the playoffs.