New Delhi: Shreyas IyerAfter Punjab Kings’ exit from IPL 2026, his sister, Shrestha Iyer, has responded after facing heavy online trolling. The backlash started after an old “banter” reel involving Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders went viral again after PBKS crashed out of the playoffs by just one point.Shrestha said the video, which showed him celebrating after Punjab’s match against Calcutta was washed out by rain and awarded a point earlier this season, was only meant for lighthearted fun and not to attack anyone. In an Instagram video, he explained, “You guys exaggerated the video I made earlier, when the rail was just meant to be a joke.” She added, “I was not trolling anyone, I had no bad intentions behind it. I was not spreading hatred against anyone. I respect every cricketer because my brother is a cricketer.Here is an old video of the celebration: Shrestha also revealed that trolling has become more serious than just online comments. Accordingly, people started calling it a workplace and harassing those connected to it personally and professionally.“I feel sorry for you guys,” he said. “You are calling my workplace, abusing me, my colleagues, my students and my family, harassing them and calling at random hours.”He clarified that criticizing them is one thing, but dragging family members, co-workers and students into it is unacceptable. “If you want to hate me, please continue to do so, but stop harassing people associated with me,” she said. She also defended her support for her brother, saying, “I will celebrate my brother, win or lose, I will always celebrate him.”The incident has once again sparked a debate about the culture of toxic fans in Indian cricket. Fans often become aggressive online after big losses, and players’ families are often targeted. Similar situations have happened before, including the recent online abuse involving Virat Kohli and Australian batsman Travis Head during a heated cricket exchange.
