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3 min readMay 23, 2026 04:51 PM IST
Kohli appeared to mock the Head's frequent use by his team as an Impact Substitute by gesturing and telling him to bowl a few deliveries instead of staying off the field. (Screengrabs: X/Star Sports)
With the business-end of the Indian Premier League (IPL) heating up, there was an on-field tiff between Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli and Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head on Friday. During the match where RCB were chasing the 255-run target of SRH, Kohli appeared to mock the Head’s frequent use by his team as an Impact Substitute by gesturing and telling him to bowl a few deliveries instead of staying off the field.
Kohli, however, was dismissed soon after for 15 off 11 balls, prompting Head to fire back with a sledge of his own. 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.
Former India player Irfan Pathan said that the exchange during such a high profile game was pretty natural due to the pressure that comes with it.
#ViratKohli 🆚 #TravisHead 🥵🤯
Tensions rise in high voltage clash🔥#TATAIPL Race to Playoffs 2026 👉 #SRHvRCB | LIVE NOW ➡️https://t.co/52qPTW2gSO pic.twitter.com/JOiWaxNW6T
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 22, 2026
“Virat Kohli has always enjoyed playing cricket with that aggressive Australian-style intensity, a bit of banter, competitiveness, and emotion on the field. 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,” Pathan said.
SRH skipper Cummins did bring on Head to bowl one over as was suggested by Kohli during his stay in the middle. The part-time off-spinner made an instant impact by bagging the prized scalp of RCB captain Rajat Patidar who fell on 56 in the 19th over. RCB eventually fell short by 55 runs, finishing exactly at 200 for four in 20 overs.
By avoiding a defeat in excess of 90 runs, RCB still held onto their top spot on the standings, securing their Qualifier 1 berth against Gujarat Titans. Kohli and Co. will return to action in the first Playoffs match in Dharamsala on Tuesday.
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