Virat Kohli dismissal sparks ugly trolling of US construction company, firm forced to take action

A US-based construction company has now become the latest victim of toxic social media behaviour allegedly linked to Virat Kohli's fans. This comes just days after Australian cricketer Travis Head’s wife Jessica Head revealed that she had faced online abuse from trolls following the no-handshake controversy involving Kohli and Sunrisers Hyderabad batter in IPL 2026.

Now, it has emerged that an American company has faced similar attacks from trolls on social media.  Holder Construction, a company based in Atlanta, was flooded with abusive comments on Instagram after several users mistakenly connected the firm with Jason Holder. The Gujarat Titans player had dismissed Kohli for 43 runs during IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 between GT and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

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After Kohli’s dismissal, trolls targeted Jason Holder online. But, many users also started attacking Holder Construction, thinking that it may be linked to the GT all-rounder. Several abusive comments appeared under the company’s Memorial Day post. The post was meant to honour martyrs in the US and had the caption: “Today we pause to honor and remember the brave individuals who gave their lives in service to our nation. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.”

US firm forced to act

As the trolling increased, the company was forced to limit comments on the post. Even then, a few hateful messages are still visible with Kohli's name, showing how ugly online fan behaviour has become. Meanwhile, some social media handles claimed that fake profiles pretending to be Kohli's fans may also have joined the trolling to show the India star in bad light after the recent controversy involving Travis Head's family.

Some users also pointed out that many of the fake profiles pretending to be Kohli's fans may be related to supporters of other Indian players, especially Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni.

The fans of these players often engage in online wars, trying to prove which of their icons is the biggest superstar in Indian cricket. In the process, they often end up hurting individuals who have nothing to do with cricket, or people connected to someone who may have dismissed these players, had an altercation with them, or been involved in some controversy.