“It is difficult obviously. When you play international cricket, you are challenged each day, each moment. Social media is a pressure. Today I have scored a hundred so people are singing praises. Three months ago, everybody was abusing me. It does affect each person. And anyone who says that doesn’t affect them at all, I’m sure is lying. The sooner you realize that staying away from it is good for your game and your mindset, the better it is.”
One could only feel sorry for the hate India cricketer KL Rahul garnered on social media, after his performances not being up to the mark, as per the high standards set by online cricket experts. But this is nothing new in India, and for the Indian fans, who have time and again stooped so low.
At least Rahul is not alone in that mind-space. Just after the World Cup win, Australia hero Travis Head was abused online, for snatching the match away with his stupendous ton. His wife Jessica and Milla were not spared either. Shubman Gill and his sister copped similar abuse after the former’s innings in IPL 2023 pushed RCB out of the playoffs list. The more recent one has to be, Hardik Pandya getting all the hate in the world, for becoming the Mumbai Indians skipper.
Tabraiz Shamsi and his wife were said objectionable things after the South African dismissed Suryakumar Yadav in a T20I. Mohammed Shami was called names after India lost to Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup, while Arshdeep Singh wasn’t spared either, for dropping a catch against the arch-rivals during the Asia Cup encounter in 2022. And then, we have former India skipper Virat Kohli, who seems to be the easiest target of these trolls and has been in the line of fire on several occasions. In fact, his failure in the park was attributed to his wife Anushka Sharma.
While all this is unwelcome, this has just become a part of the game. Ignorance is bliss, and it certainly is, in the case of these social media. These cricketers, who have gone through years of abuse, have perhaps learned, how to deal with it. But in an ideal world, it should be stopped immediately. As for the best way to deal with such trolls, Virat Kohli has the answer:
Though that doesn’t guarantee, that such actions will stop in the future, but at least cricketers won’t lose their sleep over this.
Message/ Appeal to the Fans
These players are the best of the best, in the world, and deserve the utmost respect. Trolling them online would not only serve anyone’s purpose but also cause embarrassment to all. Players, after all, have limits, and so should the fans following the sport.
