A controversy has erupted in IPL 2026 after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli refused to shake hands with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Travis Head after their match in Hyderabad on Friday night (May 22).

During the match, Kohli and Head were involved in an on-field exchange with the former appearing to mock the Australian left-hand batter’s frequent use by his team as an Impact Player by gesturing and telling him to bowl a few deliveries instead of staying off the field.

What Head posted on Instagram

Kohli, however, was dismissed soon after for 15 off 11 balls, prompting Head to fire back with a sledge of his own.

“Mate, you got out before I even came on to bowl,” Head told Kohli.

Also read: SRH register big win over RCB

The tension appeared to linger after SRH’s commanding 55-run win as Head tried to shake hands during the customary post-match greetings, but Kohli walked past him without acknowledging the gesture.

After the incident, Head shared a story on his Instagram account with a picture of him bowling and the caption reads “Keep the body guessing”.

It refers to a gym term meaning to keep changing your exercise routines. However, Head’s post has left many fans guessing.

While most fans slammed Kohli for his gesture, there were others who backed the RCB batter.

‘Could have been avoided’

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan, who was part of the TV commentary for the match and was on air during the on-field incident, said the handshake row could have been avoided.

Also read: Why BCCI, the world’s richest cricket board, stays exempt from RTI Act

“This could have been avoided,” Pathan said on JioStar.

“Virat Kohli has always enjoyed playing cricket with that aggressive Australian-style intensity, a bit of banter, competitiveness, and emotion on the field,” Pathan said.

“During that moment, he was asking Travis Head to come on and bowl a few deliveries instead of remaining off the field as an impact substitute. These kinds of exchanges are quite natural in high-pressure games, especially when both teams are competing for crucial positions on the points table.

“In the end, it was simply part of the intensity and competitive spirit that comes with top-level cricket,” he added.

RCB finish on top of table

Despite the big loss, RCB finished on top of the IPL 2026 table with 18 points and will player Qualifier 1 against second-place Gujarat Titans on Tuesday (May 26) in Dharamsala. SRH have also made it to the playoffs in third position and will play the Eliminator in New Chandigarh on Wednesday (May 27), for which the opponent is yet to be decided.

All three – RCB, GT and SRH finished their league phase with 18 points each but super Net Run Rate (NRR) took Bengaluru and Gujarat to the top two.

Either Rajasthan Royals (RR), Punjab Kings (PBKS), or Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will play SRH in the Eliminator.