Congress's Shama Mohamed Who Fat-Shamed Rohit Sharma Reacts To India Win

Days after her harsh criticism of Team India captain Rohit Sharma drew a wave of criticism, Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed cheered the Men in Blue's victory against Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final last night, wishing them the best for the March 9 finale.

"I am very, very happy today that India has won the semi-finals against Australia under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. Very happy, very very excited, and congratulations to Virat Kohli for scoring 84 runs and becoming the first player to score 1000 runs in ICC knockouts. I am very excited and looking forward to the finals," she told ANI shortly after India chased down the target of 265 with four wickets to spare.

#WATCH | Delhi: On team India's victory against Australia in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy, Congress leader Shama Mohamed says, "I am very happy today that India has won the semi-final match against Australia under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. I congratulate Virat… pic.twitter.com/UbRi2k3lqs

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2025

Earlier, Shama Mohamed's critical remarks and fat-shaming of Rohit Sharma sparked a massive row.

In a post on X during the India vs New Zealand match on Sunday, Ms Mohamed said Rohit Sharma "is fat for a sportsman". "Need to lose weight! And ofcourse the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had," she added.

When Pakistan-based sports journalist countered the Congress leader's remarks and said Mr Sharma is a "mighty effective and world class performer", she replied, "What is so world class about him when compared to his predecessors like Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid, Dhoni, Kohli, Kapil dev, Shastri & the rest! He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the Captain of India."

In a clarification later, Ms Mohamed compared Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli and said the latter always compliments other cricketers. "I just spoke in a generic manner. I fail to understand how in a democracy, we don't have the right to speak," she said.

The remarks drew a wave of criticism and the ruling BJP responded by questioning the Opposition party's criticism. "Shame on Congress! Now they are going after the Indian Cricket Captain! Do they expect Rahul Gandhi to now play cricket after failing in Indian politics," BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said.

The Indian cricket board termed the remarks "unfortunate". Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia said such comments in the middle of an ICC event could have a demoralising effect on a cricketer's morale.

"Very unfortunate for a responsible person to pass such a trivial comment when the team is in the middle of such a crucial ICC tournament. It may have demoralising effect on an individual or the team. All the players are performing to their highest potential and results are visible. I hope individuals will desist from making such derogatory statements for personal publicity sake," BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told NDTV.

The Congress distanced itself from the remarks and said they did not reflect the party's position. Pawan Khera, chairman of the party's publicity department, said she had been asked to delete the social media posts. "Dr. Shama Mohammed, National Spokesperson of the Indian National Congress, made certain remarks about a cricketing legend that do not reflect the party's position. She has been asked to delete the concerned social media posts from X and has been advised to exercise greater caution in the future. The Indian National Congress holds the contributions of sporting icons in the highest regard and does not endorse any statements that undermine their legacy," Mr Khera posted.

Thirty-seven-year-old Rohit Sharma took over as Team India captain in 2023. Under his leadership, India won the T20 World Cup last year and two Asia Cup trophies earlier. He has a stellar record in IPL too. As Mumbai Indians captain, he has led the team to five IPL titles. Rohit Sharma is set for the big match as India takes on Australia in the first semi-final of Champions Trophy today.