Less than a week ago, Shubman Gill, the latest prodigy of India's famed batting production line was crowned as the heir apparent to Virat Kohli - the greatest willow-wielder in contemporary cricket. Fans, cricket pundits, former cricketers, those playing the sport at present and even the 'King' (Virat Kohli) himself sang praises to the transcendent talent of Gill. After the Gujarat Titans' (GT) stylish batter registered his first Indian Premier League (IPL) century on May 15, Kohli was gracious enough to hand the baton to a 23-year-old with imperious potential.
"There's potential and then there's Gill. Go on and lead the next generation. God bless you," Kohli wrote on Instagram after Gill scored 101 runs off 58 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 15.
Six days after earning the applause, Gill was up against Kohli in a game of do-or-die stakes for the latter's team, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). In what ended up being a shift-of-guard moment, Gill overshadowed Kohli's brilliance with an incredible performance in a hostile environment on a windy Bengaluru evening.
Just like Kohli, Gill too registered back-to-back centuries in consecutive matches. But the latter's effort had come in a winning cause and it spelled doom for Kohli's RCB as they failed to qualify for the playoffs and bowed out of the competition. For the 16th time in as many years, RCB was humbled, and their renowned slogan 'Ee Sala Cup Namde' (This year the cup is ours) was hushed. A palpable feeling of dejection gripped the city on a cloudy Sunday night and what ensued was even darker than the clouds hovering up above in the sky.
Vitriolic fans rear their ugly head once again!
Those who understand, appreciate and enjoy the game were in awe of Gill, who once again donned the hat of a dazzling destroyer of bowling attacks. But a certain section of RCB followers, who portray themselves to be die-hard loyalists of the franchise, tried their best to put a stain on the 'Gentleman's Game'.
Fans had the unmitigated gall to hurl egregious abuses at Gill. The comment section of his social media was filled with vitriol and even death threats. That was not all, it never is when RCB fails. The franchise's self-proclaimed loyalists hurled scathing abuses at Gill's sister, Shahneel Gill.
And just like that, the trolls reared their ugly head once again. A country that worships its superstars, especially its cricketers, often finds itself fighting this battle with trolls, which now seems a long and never-ending battle that brings only shame and shows just how much room there is for improvement in society.
RCB fans pride themselves in replicating the persona of their aggressive leader and poster boy of the franchise, Virat Kohli. But all they end up doing is embarrassing the superstar and casting a dark shadow on a country where diversity is celebrated and differences are embraced.
Not the first time, but hopefully the last
In 2021, when RCB was ousted by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Eliminator match, RCB fans reared their ugly head once again. For a chance, the target was not an opposing team or player, it was one of their own. Daniel Christian was subjected to relentless abuse and later his wife was dragged into the mud by vitriolic supporters. The year changed, but nothing else did. No signs of progress but regression remain conspicuous.
So what now? When will things change for the better? When will fans understand that hiding behind social media and attacking players and their families with derogatory remarks and abuses is NOT OK! It's NOT OK to tarnish the image of a sport that provides immense entertainment to over a billion people and elicits a raw emotion of joy by an act of cowardice. For fans, it is important to understand that in sports, there are always hits and misses.
Those taking the course of racial abuse to showcase their frustration seem to have forgotten what Shubman Gill has done for Team India in just his nascent career at the international level. He is the only batter to score at least one century in Tests, ODIs, T20Is and IPL in a calendar year. And again, Gill put in a mighty effort with the bat on Sunday and it asked for mightier celebrations. The true fans of the game marveled at Gill's growth on Sunday, the poise and calmness displayed by a young 23-year-old Indian.
When it comes to fans attacking players and their families on social media, there needs to be a change. It has to stop now. Stringent rules and stricter punishments should be imposed on offenders. On the flip side, the easier solution would be for vitriolic fans to seek help and devote some time towards introspecting their actions. After all, no outside force is stronger than one's inner conscience.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Shubman Gill dampens Kohli's ton with spectacular counter-attacking century to eliminate RCB and pave playoff way for MI
'Shubman Gill batted well for MI': Sachin Tendulkar's hilarious tweet goes viral after Mumbai Indians qualify for playoffs
