India women’s batsman Bharti Fulmali has opened up about the dark side of professional sports, revealing how she was subjected to online hate and trolling because of her appearance. Currently representing Gujarat Giants in the WPL 2026, Fulmali has been a part of the franchise since the league’s inaugural season in 2023.
Frankly, she emphasized that the negative comments on social media have been constant over the past three years and have often taken a personal toll. Fulmali explained that while social media is inevitable for players due to matches and training, curiosity about public opinion can leave athletes exposed to criticism.
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The 31-year-old acknowledged the mental impact of such trolling, but stressed the importance of focusing on work, controlling perspective and building mental strength to deal with negativity.
WE LEARNED TO DEAL WITH IT
“It’s really bad when people ask you based on your looks and your personality. It’s very difficult because I’ve seen it for the last three years, since I joined the WPL. There are a lot of comments and most of them are negative. It has a very dark side,” Fulfali said in a video on Gujarat Giants.
“We have matches, we have training and we use social media. Me too – and I use it quite deeply – because I really like to know what people say about me, whether they say good things or not. That curiosity is natural, everyone has it, you certainly would too,” said Fulmali.
“But if I look at the comments section, there’s a lot of hate. Of course there are good comments, but the percentage is a little low. So it affects you a bit, it hurts your feelings. But now I’ve learned to deal with it,” added Fulmali.
“I’ve also talked about it with my other teammates and they face the same things as me. So I feel like it’s become normal because we can’t control what people think. But what we can control is what we choose to see and our perspective – that’s very important,” added Fulmali.
WILL BHARTI RETURN TO INDIA?
Bharti Fulmali made her debut for India against England in Guwahati in 2019 but was soon dropped from the national team. After seven years away from the international scene, she has earned a recall to the India Women’s T20I squad for the tour of Australia in February 2026, a move believed to be part of India’s preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup later this year.
Hailing from Amravati, Maharashtra, Fulmali started her senior domestic career at the age of 17 and is a regular in the Vidarbha Women group, known for her powerful hitting and finishing skills. At Gujarat Giants, she has built a reputation for impressive cameos and holds the record for the franchise’s seventh highest wicket in WPL history.
In the ongoing WPL, Fulmali has scored 119 runs from eight matches at an average of 23.80 and a strike rate of 150.63, with a top score of 39 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Navi Mumbai last month.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
February 2, 2026