Travis Head’s wife faces online abuse after Virat Kohli handshake snub goes viral

What was a fiery on-field exchange between Virat Kohli and Travis Head during the SRH vs RCB clash has now become an ugly episode for the latter’s family. After Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 55-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026, the focus fell on an awkward post-match moment involving Kohli and Head. Soon after, Travis Head’s wife Jessica revealed that their family and friends were subjected to online abuse from some Indian fans.

Speaking to Australian outlet The Advertiser, Jessica said the situation reminded her of the backlash the family received after Australia defeated India at ODI World Cup 2023.

“It feels like a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup,” she said. Head’s family received heavy abuse after his century denied India the 2023 ODI World Cup on November 19. The Australian batter first took an improbable catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma before blasting a century that single-handedly won Australia the World Cup.

“I woke up to my socials blasting… we are fine but they are attacking my friends and family. I think across all sports at the moment there’s an important conversation around mental health, perspective and the way we speak to one another,” she added. “Passion will always be part of sport, but so is remembering there are real people and families behind the game. Hopefully this encourages more kindness, and support for one another.”

Jessica added that similar abuse had followed Australia’s wins in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, the World Test Championship final and the 2024 Boxing Day Test.

What happened between Kohli and Head?

The tension started during RCB’s chase of 256. Kohli, batting alongside Venkatesh Iyer, appeared frustrated during an exchange with Head. Cameras caught the RCB star making an ‘X’ gesture with his hands while saying something towards the Australian batter, who simply smirked in response.

Commentators suggested Kohli may have sarcastically asked Head to either bowl himself or leave the field since he was playing as an Impact Player. However, it was actually that Head reportedly asked Kohli to play more attacking shots.

Kohli eventually scored just 15 off 11 balls before getting out during a chase that never truly looked under control. RCB’s approach later became more about protecting their net run rate rather than realistically chasing the target. Then came the post-match moment that exploded online.

While shaking hands with SRH players after the game, Kohli appeared to walk straight past Head without acknowledging his handshake attempt. Instead, Kohli shook hands with Ishan Kishan standing behind him. The clip quickly went viral across social media.

On the cricketing side, SRH completely dominated the game.

Abhishek Sharma survived three dropped chances before smashing 56 off 22 balls. Ishan Kishan then hammered 79, while Heinrich Klaasen added 51 in a brutal 113-run partnership in just eight overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy’s late cameo pushed SRH to a massive 255/4.

RCB never seriously threatened the target. Venkatesh Iyer’s 44 off 19 and Rajat Patidar’s 56 off 39 were the only major contributions. The result confirmed SRH’s place in the Eliminator, while RCB will now face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at Dharamshala.

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