A heated on-field exchange between cricketers Virat Kohli and Travis Head during the recent IPL clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has now snowballed into yet another debate around toxic sports fandom and online abuse targeting cricketers’ families.Following the now-viral moment where Virat appeared to ignore Travis’ handshake after the match, Travis’ wife Jessica revealed that she and her family were subjected to a flood of abusive messages online.Speaking to Australian media outlet The Advertiser, Jessica said, “It feels like a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup.” She added, “I woke up to my socials blasting… we are fine, but they are attacking my friends and family.”Jessica also pointed out that similar trolling had happened after Australia defeated India during the 2023 ODI World Cup final, the World Test Championship final, and the 2024 Boxing Day Test. She said the abuse had even extended to disturbing comments involving their young daughter.“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.”Some fans apologise and come forward to support Amid the trolling, a section of Indian cricket fans and RCB supporters also came out in support of Jessica and her family. Several users apologised on behalf of Indian fans online, with many saying that families should never be dragged into sporting rivalries. Social media was also flooded with messages asking people to separate aggressive fandom from personal abuse, while others pointed out that not all Virat or RCB fans supported the hate being directed at Travis’ family.This is not the first timeUnfortunately, this is far from the first instance of cricketers’ partners being targeted online over performances on the field. Over the years, even Anushka Sharma — actor and wife of Virat has repeatedly faced trolling whenever Virat or Team India underperformed in major matches. Social media users have previously blamed her for Virat’s form, captaincy decisions, and even retirement rumours, despite having no connection to the game itself.More recently, Hardik Pandya’s partner Mahieka Sharma too has reportedly been facing online criticism amid conversations around Mumbai Indians’ inconsistent IPL season and Hardik’s captaincy scrutiny this year.What exactly happened between Kohli and Travis Head?*During the SRH vs RCB IPL 2026 clash, Kohli and Head exchanged words on the field*Reports suggest Head told Kohli to play more aggressively*Kohli sarcastically asked Head, who was playing as an Impact Player, to bowl himself*After SRH’s victory, Head attempted a handshake during post-match greetings*Kohli appeared to walk past without responding*The clip instantly went viral online and triggered fan wars across platforms
