Virat Kohli walked straight past Travis Head when the two sides lined up for post-match handshakes in Hyderabad on Friday night. Kohli did shake hands with Pat Cummins and Abhishek Sharma, but ignored Head’s out-stretched arm before moving on down the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) line.
The moment capped an awkward evening for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), beaten by 55 runs after choosing to chase 256 and then settling for 200 for 4 – a score that protected their net run-rate targets but never really threatened the total.
What sparked the snub? Cameras caught Kohli and Head exchanging a few words during the RCB innings, yet the original trigger wasn’t obvious from the broadcast. Neither player spoke publicly afterwards, so for now it sits in the “heat-of-the-moment” basket that T20 throws up every so often.
Aaron Finch, watching on TV duty, felt the incident was secondary to RCB’s larger issues. “Injured Salt coming in stone-cold for playoffs a major concern,” he said, pointing out that Phil Salt’s lack of game time leaves the top order short on rhythm.
Match facts first: SRH’s 255 for 4 was powered by Head’s brisk 88 and a late burst from Heinrich Klaasen. RCB, needing at least 166 to guarantee a top-two finish and 178 to go top outright, still went for the maths rather than the chase once Kohli nicked off for 15. Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar pushed them past the safety marks, but the required rate ballooned beyond reach.
Play-off picture: Gujarat Titans await RCB in Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala on 26 May. SRH, third, head to New Chandigarh for the Eliminator a day later. One spot is still open; Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals can all squeeze in depending on the final three league games.
A quick word on the mood. Cummins tried to downplay the post-match frostiness. “It’s competitive cricket,” he told host broadcaster Star Sports. “Both teams move on.” No reply yet from Kohli’s camp, though RCB officials said the handshake line “went as it went – nothing more to add”.
For the casual fan wondering, no-handshake flashpoints aren’t new, but they usually fade fast once the next fixture rolls around. With a Qualifier looming in three days, that next fixture is coming quickly.
