November 21, 2023
Bitter Indian fans, who were heartbroken by India's defeat against Australia in the World Cup final, have targeted the wife of Australian cricket star Glenn Maxwell, reported Daily Mail.
Australia suffered a top-order wobble of their own but Travis Head's 137 off 120 balls saw them romp home with seven overs to spare in the match that never reached great heights.
Maxwell hit the winning shot in the six-wicket win in India's Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad which had almost 100,000 spectators, anticipating India's victory.
Maxwell's wife Vini Raman, who is of Indian origin, revealed that some of the supporters abused her and her husband.
"Cue all the hateful, vile DMs (direct messages). Stay classy. Can't believe this needs to be said but you can be Indian and also support the country of your birth where you have been raised and more importantly the team your husband and father of your child plays in," she wrote on Instagram.
"Take a chill pill and direct that outrage towards more important world issues."
However, her post also attracted hate from Indian fans.
"Are you happy with India's loss or your husband's victory?" one asked.
"Thanks don't come back again," wrote another.
Vini was not the only one to get this treatment as Travis Head's wife, Jessica, was also targeted on social media as she celebrated her husband's century in the final.
Not only that, ESPN writer Stephen A Smith — who is not related to Steve Smith — also showed how he was targeted as people sent him messages.
"I hope plane crashes, all of your team die along with their family members," one message read.
"If I ever see you somewhere, you're not walking out from there," read another.
Grade Cricketer podcast host Ian Higgins was also told that he should "kill himself".
New Zealand player Jimmy Neesham also posted screenshots of his DMs on Instagram as Indian fans mistook him for an Australian.
"People who don't know Aus and NZ are two different countries," he posted on Instagram with an image of him flipping the middle finger.
However, many fans showed their support and apologised on behalf of the trolls.