New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer and commentator Akash Chopra It has since strongly condemned online abuse of players’ families. Travis HeadHis wife Jessica revealed that the Australian batsman was subjected to hateful messages to his close friends and relatives after the recent IPL 2026 clash. Virat Kohli.Controversy erupted after an on-field exchange between Kohli and Head during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad last week. During RCB’s chase, the two star players were seen exchanging words in the middle. Although the exact details of the verbal altercation are unclear, tensions remained after the match. Viral visuals show Head coming up to Kohli for the traditional handshake, but the former India captain apparently walked past the Australian opener to greet other SRH players.The incident quickly exploded on social media platforms, sparking a heated debate among fans of both teams.However, the situation escalated when Jessica Head revealed that the online abuse soon spread beyond cricket and started targeting the immediate family circle.“It feels like a repeat of the post-World Cup abuse. I woke up to my socials blowing up… we’re fine but they’re attacking my friends and family,” Jessica told The Advertiser.Reacting to the disturbing trend, Chopra slammed fans for dragging athletes’ lovers to sporting events.“People who abuse wives…children…are the lowest form of scoundrels,” wrote Chopra on X. “Some people might even get under that comment. Those same young people won’t tolerate an iota of criticism about themselves or their idols. Hypocrites.”Jessica Head calls for kindness amid growing toxicity.Jessica also pointed out that similar abuses occurred after 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 there’s an important conversation right now in all sports about mental health, attitudes and the way we talk to each other.” “Passion will always be part of the game, but so is remembering that there are real people and families behind the game.”The controversy later took an even stranger turn when several fans mistakenly targeted American rapper Travis Scott on social media for sharing a name with Travis Head.Scott’s Instagram account was flooded with nasty comments related to the Kohli head controversy even though the rapper had nothing to do with cricket or the IPL.The strange mix-up once again highlighted the dark side of online fan culture, where anger and trolling are reaching beyond the boundaries of the sport itself.
