Travis Head and Virat Kohli (ANI Image)
New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has strongly condemned the online abuse directed at players’ families after Travis Head’s wife Jessica revealed that their close friends and relatives were targeted with hate messages following the Australian player’s recent encounter in IPL 2026 with Virat Kohli.The controversy erupted after a heated on-field exchange between Kohli and Head during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad last week.
During RCB’s chase, the two star players were seen exchanging words in the middle. While the exact details of the verbal altercation remain unclear, it appears that tensions continued after the match as well. Viral images showed Head approaching Kohli for the customary handshake, but the former India skipper appeared to bypass the Australian opener as he greeted other SRH players.The incident quickly spread across social media platforms, sparking heated debate between fans of the two teams.However, the situation escalated further after Jessica Head revealed that the online abuse soon spread beyond cricket and began targeting the family’s inner circle.“It feels like a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup,” Jessica told The Advertiser. “I woke up to criticism on social media… We’re fine but they’re attacking my friends and family.”
In response to this disturbing trend, Chopra harshly criticized fans for dragging players’ loved ones into sports competitions.Chopra wrote on
Jessica Head calls for kindness amid rising toxicityJessica also pointed out that similar abuse has followed Australia’s victories over India in major ICC tournaments, including the 2023 ODI World Cup final, the World Test Championship final, and the 2024 Boxing Day Test.“I think in all sports right now there is an important dialogue around mental health and perspective and the way we talk to each other,” she said. “Passion will always be a part of the sport, but also remember that there are real people and families behind the game.”The controversy later took a strange turn after several fans mistakenly targeted American rapper Travis Scott on social media due to his shared first name with Travis Head.
Do you think the incident between Kohli and Head could have been avoided?
Scott’s Instagram account was filled with offensive comments related to the Kohli-Head controversy despite the rapper having no connection whatsoever with cricket or the IPL.The bizarre mix-up has once again highlighted the dark side of online fan culture, where anger and trolling increasingly extend beyond the boundaries of the sport itself.