Travis Head’s Wife Admits Getting Abused Online After Virat Kohli Incident

Earlier, Travis Head and his family faced targeted abuse online after scoring a remarkable 163 runs against India in the 2023 WTC final.

Travis Head’s Wife Admits Getting Abused Online After Virat Kohli Incident

Travis Head's wife, Jessica, opened up about social media abuse she had to face, since her husband's spate with Virat Kohli. (Image via BCCI/X)

In Short
  • Travis Head's wife, Jessica, revealed she faced online abuse following the handshake incident with Virat Kohli.
  • The controversy escalated after Kohli declined to shake hands with Head during an IPL match.
  • Jessica emphasized the need for respect towards players' mental health amid rising social media trolling.

The ‘handshake’ row involving Australian cricketer Travis Head, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, and Virat Kohli seems to have taken an ugly turn. Head’s wife, Jessica, publicly disclosed that she has been subjected to a massive wave of online abuse.

Travis Head and Virat Kohli became central figures in a controversy after the latter declined to shake hands with the Australian following SRH’s decisive 55-run victory over RCB. The initial flashpoint was when the SRH player signaled for the 37-year-old to attempt big shots during the 256-run chase. While RCB’s Venkatesh Iyer maintained a strong batting attack, Kohli taunted Head about his role as a mere ‘Impact Player’ and challenged him to bowl a few deliveries to him. 

However, Kohli was soon dismissed for just 15 runs, leading to a sharp retaliation from Head. The 32-year-old approached the Indian star and was overheard saying that Kohli was out before he even got a chance to bowl at him.

Sunrisers’ skipper Pat Cummins added salt to the misery by bringing Head on to bowl, and he scalped the important wicket of Rajat Patidar in the 18th over. Following the confrontation, the drama extended off the field, with the left-hander’s family becoming a target.

The SRH opener’s wife, Jessica Head, in a recent interview with The Advertiser, revealed that she has once again faced abusive social media trolling from fans after her husband’s recent spat. She reported waking up to messages aimed at their friends and family, emphasizing the mental and emotional strain of this harassment. Instead of responding with negativity, Jessica shared a message urging fans to respect the mental health of players and their close ones, while acknowledging that passion related to a sport.

I think across all sports at the moment there’s an important conversation around mental health and the way we speak to one another. Passion will always be part of sport, but so is remembering there are real people and families behind the game.

Jessica Head said

Jessica also stated that trolling has unfortunately become a regular pattern, especially when her husband performs well against India or shares a tense moment with Kohli. She added that the nature of the recent abuse felt like a repeat of what she experienced after the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup final, where the Aussie opener had rattled India by scoring a match-winning century at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

It feels like a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup. I woke up to my socials blasting… we are fine but they are attacking my friends and family.

It remains to be seen whether the ICC or the BCCI looks into the matter, especially with cases of abusive trolling turning into a common occurrence. Even the wives and children of many Indian players have had to face issues over the recent years. 

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Virat Kohli fans mistakenly troll rapper Travis Scott, thinking he is Travis Head

The aftermath of Virat Kohli’s on-field spat with Travis Head turned bizarre. Social media users and fans of the legendary Indian cricketer mistakenly dragged American rapper Travis Scott into the middle of the IPL drama and viciously trolled him. 

Travis Head fans mistake Travis Scott
Virat Kohli fans trolled American rapper Travis Scott, mistaking him for Travis Head. (via India Today)

During RCB’s defeat to SRH, Kohli and Head aggressively sledged each other, and the former India captain later snubbed the Aussie cricketer’s outstretched hand for a handshake. As the incident drew criticism, angry sections of Kohli fans attacked Travis Head on social media, even going to the extent of sending abusive messages to his wife, Jessica Head, his family members and close friends.

Some fans, however, made an absurd error in finding Travis Head’s social media handle, and instead landed up in Travis Scott’s Instagram handle. The US-based rapper, who has over 59 million followers, was trolled for the incident involving the two cricketers, despite having no connection with the sport or the IPL. Scott’s posts were flooded with aggressive emojis, insults and pro-Kohli slogans. 

The mix-up, while widely amusing, also sparked criticism. Some fans and cricket enthusiasts condemned the ‘illiterate’ segment of Kohli fans for targeting Travis Scott, calling it an ’embarrassment’ and highlighting the increasingly toxic nature of cricket culture in the country.

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