Virat Kohli and Travis Head (Image: X)

Irfan Pathan has weighed in on the fiery on-field exchange between Virat Kohli and Travis Head during the IPL 2026 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, saying Kohli thrives on an “Australian-style intensity” while playing the game.The heated moment became one of the biggest talking points of the match after Kohli appeared visibly animated during RCB’s chase of 256 and later ignored Head during the post-match handshakes.Speaking on JioHotstar, Pathan described the incident as a natural consequence of high-pressure cricket and competitive emotions during a crucial IPL encounter.“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.”Pathan added that such verbal exchanges are common in elite-level cricket, especially when teams are battling for crucial playoff positions.“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.”

The tension between the two players escalated further after the match ended.As players lined up for the customary post-match handshakes, Head extended his hand towards Kohli. However, the former RCB captain appeared to ignore the Australian opener completely, walking past him without acknowledging the gesture. Kohli, though, was seen greeting other SRH players warmly, including captain Pat Cummins and opener Abhishek Sharma.The incident quickly went viral on social media, with fans debating whether Kohli’s reaction crossed the line or simply reflected the intensity of the contest.SRH dominate RCB in high-scoring clashOn the field, SRH produced a dominant all-round performance to defeat RCB by 55 runs.Batting first, the Pat Cummins-led side piled up a massive 255/4, powered by explosive knocks from Ishan Kishan (79), Abhishek Sharma (56) and Heinrich Klaasen (51). Nitish Kumar Reddy also provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 29.RCB began their chase aggressively 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 on 41, but RCB eventually finished at 200/4. Young pacer Eshan Malinga starred with the ball for SRH, picking up 2/33 in a commanding win that helped Hyderabad secure third place in the IPL 2026 points table heading into the playoffs.