NEW DELHI: Australia batsman Travis Head spoke publicly for the first time about the controversy involved Virat Kohli during the IPL 2026 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The incident gained attention after cameras appeared to show RCB star Kohli shaking hands with the SRH skipper after the game, leading to speculations about a rift between the two cricketers.The leader, however, dismissed the rumours, saying there was no problem to be solved.“I don’t think there’s anything to patch over. It just is what it is. It is. No surprises with how the competition went or what happened. So as expected,” Head told Code Sports.
Family affected by online abuse
The controversy took a personal turn when Head’s wife Jessica Davies revealed she received abusive messages from fans on social media. Head admits the online backlash was difficult, especially for his family, although he believes such attention is part of being a professional athlete.“I think Jessica and I have a great perspective on things. It’s the world we live in, and I think she’s amazing in how she deals with this kind of thing. It was more the stuff of the family was built around it, flow to other family members who don’t particularly see this kind of thing,” he said.Head also praised his wife for being calm throughout the episode, adding: “Everyone forgot about it in a few days. She handled it very well. It’s probably dealing with others and what other people’s perspective of what things are like.”Meanwhile, Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru successfully defended IPL the title by defeating the Gujarat Titans in the 2026 final in Ahmedabad.
