SYDNEY: Travis Head and his wife Jessica have been subjected to a barrage of online abuse after the Australian cricketer was embroiled in a spat with India great Virat Kohli during an IPL match.

The players clashed during the T20 match between Head’s Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kohli’s Royal Challe­ngers Bengaluru on Friday.

Heated words were exchanged between the two before Kohli was dismissed for 15 and his team slumped to a 55-run defeat.

As the two sets of players lined up for the post-game handshakes, Kohli ignored Head’s outstretched arm but shook hands with the other players.

The Instagram accounts for Head and Jessica have since been flooded with abusive comments, apparently from fans of the former India captain.

Jessica told The Advertiser newspaper that her friends and family had also received hateful private messages.

“I woke up to my socials blasting... we are fine but they are attacking my friends and family,” she said Monday, according to the reports. “Passion will always be part of sport, but so is remembering there are real people and families behind the game.

“Hopefully this encourages more kindness, and support for one another.”

She also said it felt like “a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup”, referring to the 2023 50-over tournament when Australia beat hosts India in the final in Ahmedabad.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2026