Virat Kohli faces backlash after Travis Head handshake snub

Following the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli faced sharp criticism on social media for appearing to refuse a handshake with Australian batsman Travis Head.

At the conclusion of the match played in Hyderabad, India, players from both teams formed the traditional handshake line. While Kohli shook hands with Pat Cummins and Abhishek Sharma, he walked past Travis Head without acknowledging him, despite Head extending his hand.

Honesly, Didnt expect this from Virat Kohli, Suryakumar or Kohli main kya farq reh gaya phr? pic.twitter.com/Yey1Z5fCBx

— ٰImran Siddique (@imransiddique89) May 23, 2026

Although Head and Virat Kohli were seen exchanging words during the game, the exact reason for the apparent tension remains unclear.

As soon as the video of the incident surfaced online, social media users slammed the former Indian captain. One user commented, “Performance zero, attitude hundred,” while another asked, “Where did the sportsmanship spirit go?” Many fans labeled Kohli’s behavior as unnecessary arrogance, noting that better conduct is expected from a player at this stage of his career. Conversely, one user sarcastically wrote, “Brother, this is what swag is.”

Virat Kohli had a disappointing outing with the bat during the match, being dismissed after scoring just 15 runs. Ultimately, Royal Challengers Bengaluru were restricted to 200 runs in their chase, falling short of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s imposing total of 255.