I did a show yesterday on Shubman Gill and social-media toxicity. Gill, I would say, is now the most-trolled cricketer. The abuse is vile and toxic, and one wonders why. Let me make one fundamental point here. There are many who write that they want him to fail. Anyone who wants a national cricketer to fail is not a sports fan. They can never be. He or she is a qualified troll, but certainly not a sports fan.
Second, Gill – possibly an all-format captain in the future – is actually hated by six different fan groups. This point was made in our work group by Bharath Ramaraj, and I think he is right. Rohit Sharma fans troll him because he has succeeded Rohit as ODI and Test skipper. Virat Kohli fans troll him because they don’t like the “prince will be king” tagline. Sanju Samson fans troll him because he has been given the opener’s slot in T20 cricket. Shreyas Iyer fans resent that he has been given the ODI captaincy ahead of Shreyas. Finally, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad fans mock him because they believe they are better T20 players.
I don’t have a problem with critical engagement. You absolutely need to question form. A lack of runs needs to be debated. The level of talent in Indian cricket is such that questions will always be asked. But there is always a line between criticism and abuse, between vile behaviour and civil engagement. Calling someone “PR” is the new fashion. A number of my colleagues have faced it. Mohor, a young colleague, deleted her X account yesterday, unable to deal with the abuse. This is where social media becomes filth – a cesspit of poison.
While you can indeed question Gill’s lack of runs, how and why is it PR? The chairman of selectors is a Mumbaikar, and there is another selector from Odisha. What’s their interest in being Gill’s PR? Where is the connection? In red-ball cricket, it was Gill who scored 754 runs in England and was the Player of the Series with the bat. Clearly, the selectors see talent. That’s why they invest in him. For sure, they can go wrong, and if that’s the case, call them out and say it was a wrong selection. But to call it PR is complete rubbish.
As far as RevSportz is concerned, my journalists will speak or write exactly what they see and what they believe in. No troll can stop it. Ever. That’s how we are and will be. I have encountered abuse for days and months, and it has hardened me. This is one learning from my ban – how to deal with trolls and give it back.
I’ll say it again: I welcome healthy debate. Come and engage. Be critical. Analyse and show why you are saying what you are. But don’t be disrespectful towards a cricketer or a journalist. Don’t just say someone has been paid – you are completely in the wrong. It shows that whatever you are, you can’t be a fan. Gill and social-media toxicity is proof that Indian cricket can be quite disgusting at times, and a reminder of why we need to develop a thick skin.
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