New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) Former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra strongly condemned online abuse targeted at players’ families after Travis Head’s wife Jessica Head revealed that their close friends and family members were subjected to hateful messages following the Australian batter’s recent on-field spat with Virat Kohli during an IPL 2026 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Reacting to the growing trend of toxic online behaviour, Chopra lashed out at trolls for dragging players’ loved ones into sporting rivalries.

“People abusing Wives…kids…are the lowest form of scumbags. Some might be found under this comment, too. Same lowlifes won’t handle an iota of criticism about themselves or their idols. Hypocrites,” Chopra wrote on X.

The strong reaction from Chopra came after Jessica Head opened up about the online harassment the family allegedly faced after the heated exchange between Kohli and Head during SRH’s win over RCB in Hyderabad last week.

The flashpoint occurred during Bengaluru’s chase when Kohli and Head were seen exchanging words in the middle. While the exact details of the verbal altercation remain unclear, the incident gained further attention after the match when Head appeared to approach Kohli for a customary handshake. Kohli, however, walked past the Australian opener without acknowledging him, even as he greeted other SRH players after the game.

The visuals quickly went viral across social media platforms, sparking intense debate among fans of both teams. Jessica revealed that the online backlash soon escalated beyond criticism of cricket and began targeting people close to the family.

“It feels like a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup. I woke up to my socials blasting... we are fine but they are attacking my friends and family,” Jessica told The Advertiser.

Jessica also pointed out that similar online attacks had surfaced after Australia’s victories over India in major ICC events, including the 2023 ODI World Cup final, the World Test Championship final and the 2024 Boxing Day Test.

“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. 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,” she added.

The incident has once again highlighted the darker side of fan culture in modern sport, where heated rivalries on the field increasingly spill over into abusive social media campaigns directed at players and their families.

--IANS

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