Melbourne: Travis Head and his wife Jessica faced a wave of online abuse after the Australian batter became involved in a heated exchange with Virat Kohli during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match.
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The incident took place on Friday during the clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Heated Exchange During IPL Match
Head and Kohli exchanged words during the T20 match before Kohli was dismissed for 15 runs.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru later suffered a heavy 55-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Tensions appeared to continue after the game as players lined up for post-match handshakes. Kohli reportedly ignored Head’s outstretched hand while greeting other players.
Social Media Abuse Targets Head Family
Following the match, abusive comments flooded the Instagram accounts of Travis Head and his wife Jessica.
According to reports, Jessica also revealed that friends and family members received hateful private messages online.
“I woke up to my socials blasting … we are fine but they are attacking my friends and family,” Jessica told The Advertiser newspaper.
She added that passion in sports should not cross personal boundaries.
“Passion will always be part of sport, but so is remembering there are real people and families behind the game,” she said.
Jessica Recalls 2023 World Cup Abuse
Jessica said the incident reminded her of the online abuse the family faced after the 2023 Cricket World Cup final.
In that tournament, Australia defeated India in the final held in Ahmedabad.
“Hopefully, this encourages more kindness and support for one another,” she added.
The clash between Head and Kohli has since sparked widespread discussion among cricket fans on social media.
