The heated on-field altercation between Virat Kohli and Travis Head during the Royal Challengers was minimized by former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan. Bengaluru’s IPL 2026 matchup with Sunrisers Hyderabad, claiming that these conflicts are an inevitable result of the fierceness and rivalry of elite cricket.
During an on-field exchange between Kohli and Head, the former seemed to make fun of the Australian batter’s regular deployment as an Impact Substitute by encouraging him to bowl a few deliveries rather than remain off the field.
But soon after, Kohli was removed for 15 off 11 balls, and Head responded with a sledge of his own. After SRH’s convincing 55-run victory, there seemed to be some tension as Head attempted to shake hands at the traditional post-match niceties, but Kohli ignored him.
“Virat Kohli has always enjoyed playing cricket with that aggressive Australian-style intensity, a bit of banter, competitiveness, and emotion on the field,” PTI quoted JioStar expert Pathan as saying.
“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. 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.”
According to former India batter Virender Sehwag, Venkatesh Iyer has given Royal Challengers Bengaluru a welcome selection conundrum ahead of the playoffs. He wants the left-hander to continue opening and believes that Phil Salt, who is once again fit, should take Jitesh Sharma’s place in the starting eleven.
After missing the majority of the current season, Iyer batted at number four and opened the innings in the final two games, scoring 73 and 44, respectively.
“Venkatesh Iyer is at his best when batting in the top order. He played his best knocks for KKR in that position. For RCB, he hasn’t had many chances at his preferred spot,” PTI quoted JioStar expert Sehwag as saying.
“But when Rajat Patidar was injured, he came in at number four against Punjab and played a match-winning 73. Then against SRH, he opened the innings and played a quickfire 44, giving RCB the start they needed in a 256-run chase.”
Before suffering a left-hand finger injury, Phil Salt hit 202 runs in six innings for RCB in the 2026 Indian Premier League. Since then, he has fully recovered and returned to the RCB camp.
“Now, with Phil Salt returning to full fitness, the big question is whether Venkatesh will keep his place in the XI. It’s a good problem for RCB to have. I wouldn’t drop Iyer from the opening slot. Instead, I would replace Jitesh Sharma with Phil Salt. Jitesh is not in great form, and RCB have taken bold decisions before. If Salt has to come back, Jitesh should make way,” Sehwag said.
In order to maintain their chances of slipping into the playoffs, the Punjab Kings must defeat the Lucknow Super Giants in their last league game. According to Sehwag, who played for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, PBKS’ bowling is still their weakness, and the team has frequently suffered from the lack of a reliable wicket-taker in the middle overs.
“They have had enough opportunities to seal a playoff spot but failed to take them. Their batting has let them down in crucial moments, and their bowling has lacked discipline. Sometimes the law of averages catches up when you win too many games.
“Mitchell Marsh will be a big challenge for Punjab’s bowling attack. Even in the last two seasons, when Punjab made the final, their bowling was never their strongest suit. They have lacked a reliable wicket-taker in the middle overs, and that weakness has been exposed time and again.
“They will struggle against Marsh, especially in the powerplay where he is most dangerous. His ability to pick length early and clear the boundaries with ease makes him a handful on any surface. The only thing that could help Punjab is leaving Dharamshala.”
