‘Hypocrites’: Aakash Chopra slams trolls after Virat Kohli-Travis head spat sparks family abuse

Travis Head and Virat Kohli (ANI Photo) NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has strongly condemned the online abuse directed at players’ families after Travis Head’s wife Jessica revealed that their close friends and relatives were targeted by hate messages following the Australian batsman’s recent IPL 2026 clash with Virat Kohli.The controversy erupted after a heated 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. While the exact details of the verbal spat remain unclear, the tension seemed to continue after the match. Viral images showed Head approaching Kohli for the usual handshake, but the former India captain seemingly walked past the Australian opener to greet the other SRH players.The incident quickly exploded across social media platforms and sparked heated debates among fans of both teams.However, the situation escalated further after Jessica Head revealed that the online abuse soon spread beyond cricket to target the family’s inner circle.“It feels like a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup. I woke up to my social sniping… 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 beloved players into sports rivalries.“People who abuse wives… children… are the lowest form of scum,” Chopra wrote on X. “Some will find themselves under this comment too. The same lowlifes can’t handle an iota of criticism of themselves or their idols. Hypocrites.”Jessica Head calls for kindness amid growing toxicityJessica also pointed out that similar abuse followed Australia’s victories over India in major ICC tournaments, including the 2023 ODI World Cup final, the Test World Cup final and the 2024 Boxing Day Test.“I think there’s an important conversation going on in all sports right now about mental health and perspective and the way we talk to each other,” she said. “Passion will always be a part of sport, but so is remembering that there are real people and families behind the game.”The controversy later took an even weirder turn after several fans mistakenly targeted American rapper Travis Scott on social media for sharing a first name with Travis Head.

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Scott’s Instagram account was flooded with abusive comments linked to the Kohli-Head controversy despite the rapper having no connection with cricket or the IPL.The bizarre mix has once again highlighted the darker side of online fan culture, where outrage and trolling are increasingly spreading beyond the sport itself.