Travis Head’s wife opens up on ugly fallout from Virat Kohli IPL spat: ‘It’s a repeat of the abuse after the World Cup’

Australian cricketer Travis Head and his wife have reportedly faced online abuse after the Sunrisers Hyderabad batter was involved in a heated exchange with Virat Kohli during their recent IPL 2026 clash.

The incident unfolded during SRH’s 55-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium last Saturday. Head and Kohli were seen exchanging words during Kohli’s brief innings of 15 off 11 balls, although the trigger for the altercation remains unclear.

The post-match handshake also drew attention. Head appeared to extend his hand after the game, but Kohli, after greeting teammates including Pat Cummins and Abhishek Sharma, walked past without acknowledging the gesture.

Following the incident, sections of social media users allegedly directed abusive messages toward Head and his wife, with some comments appearing under their wedding photographs and extending to family members and friends.

Speaking to Australian outlet The Advertiser, Head’s wife Jessica said: “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.”

According to reports, this is not the first time Jessica has been targeted online. Similar incidents allegedly followed Australia’s victories over India in the 2023 World Cup final, the World Test Championship final that year and the 2024 Boxing Day Test, with reports of abusive and threatening messages.

Jessica also called for a broader discussion around conduct in sport and online spaces, saying: “Passion will always be part of sport, but so is remembering there are real people and families behind the game.”

Head has not issued a formal statement on the abuse. However, he appeared to post an Instagram story after the RCB match reading: “Keep the body guessing.” Some fans linked the message to the handshake episode involving Kohli, though there has been no confirmation that the post referred to the incident.