Travis Head and his wife Jessica have been flooded with online abuse after the Australian batter clashed with India great Virat Kohli during an IPL match in India on Friday. Head’s Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 55 runs, but the confrontation drew an intense backlash from fans on social media.

What happened between Travis Head and Virat Kohli during the IPL match?

Head and Kohli exchanged heated words during the T20 match before Kohli was dismissed for 15. At the post-match handshake, Kohli ignored Head’s outstretched hand while shaking hands with other players.

The incident prompted a wave of abusive messages targeting Head and his wife Jessica on Instagram.

What did Jessica Head say about the online abuse?

Jessica told The Advertiser that her friends and family had also received hateful private messages, not just her and Travis. “I woke up to my socials blasting. We are fine but they are attacking my friends and family,” she said on Monday.

She called for greater kindness, saying passion is part of sport but so is remembering there are real people and families behind the game.

Has Travis Head’s family faced online abuse before?

Jessica drew a direct comparison to the backlash that followed Australia’s victory over India in the 2023 Cricket World Cup final in Ahmedabad. “It felt like a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup,” she said. That tournament also saw Australian players and their families targeted by hostile messages from some Indian fans after the hosts were beaten in the final.