Just two days after Travis Head’s wife Jessica revealed her ordeal of facing abuse from online trolls, a US construction firm, Holder Construction, has found itself dealing with a similar problem. The Atlanta-headquartered company became the target of hate and profane messages after users, believed to be Virat Kohli fans, mistakenly linked it to Gujarat Titans pacer Jason Holder. Holder had dismissed Kohli for 43 during IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. While Holder himself was targeted by trolls, Holder Constructions got dragged into the controversy as well.
Several derogatory and abusive comments were posted on Holder Constructions’ Instagram account, and to make it worse, on a post that celebrated Memorial Day. “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,” read the caption.
The trolling forced the firm to take measures, and limit comments on its post. A few messages, however, are still visible, highlighting the ugly side of online trolling. As the comments indicate, many of these trolls appear to be fans of Kohli, although some users have also pointed out that certain profiles may simply be pretending to be Kohli fans to increase toxicity, which is common during such fan wars. Social media, especially X, is filled with trolls claiming to be fans of Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, with the only common trait among them being their tendency to belittle anyone apart from their favourites.
As unfortunate as it is, this has increasingly become a modern-day reality. Less than 24 hours earlier, cricketer Shreyas Iyer’s sister Shrestha had spoken out about facing similar abuse amid a long and exhausting battle with online trolls.
What is Holder Construction?
As mentioned on its LinkedIn profile, “Holder Construction is a leading national commercial construction company consistently ranking in the nation’s top 20 contractors. Since 1960, the company’s focus is on strong relationships and top-quality buildings.”
The problem runs deeper
The issue does not end with trolling rival players and fan bases. It goes much deeper, with these trolls often attacking anyone who dares to question them. Recently, former India opener Aakash Chopra was among several cricketing voices who called out trolls for bringing shame to the country by targeting Jessica. Instead of showing remorse, however, these keyboard warriors turned their attention towards Chopra himself, flooding him with hate as well. What’s worse is the tendency to defend rather than reflect. What’s more concerning is that these trolls repeatedly fail to learn from their mistakes.