(From L to R) Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma; Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed
Credit: PTI, X/@IYC
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed has stirred controversy after sharply criticising Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma, calling him "fat for a sportsman" and labeling him "the most unimpressive captain India has ever had."
Taking to social media, Mohamed remarked, "@ImRo45 is fat for a sportsman! Needs to lose weight! And of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!"
Rohit was heavily criticised by Shama Mohamed, who pointed fingers at his fitness level. The Congress spokesperson also compared the Indian skipper with Virat Kohli, Sourav Ganguly, Kapil Dev and described Rohit as a "mediocre captain and player" who got "lucky" to be India's captain.
However, she later clarified that it was a "generic tweet" about the fitness of a sportsperson rather than "body-shaming".
"It was a generic tweet about the fitness of a sportsperson. It was not body-shaming. I always believed a sportsperson should be fit, and I felt he was a bit overweight, so I just tweeted about that. I have been attacked for no reason. When I compared him with previous captains, I put in a statement. I have the right. What is wrong in saying? It is a democracy," she told news agency ANI.
The Congress also distanced itself from Shama Mohamed’s remarks after it drew flak from the BJP.
In a statement, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera said, "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," he added.
Her remarks sparked a backlash on social media, with cricket fans condemning her comments.
One user wrote, "Rohit is going through a tough time today, so it’s not right to criticize him for his weight. He has played many wonderful innings for the country."
Another user commented, "Absolutely rubbish statement. Rohit is a legend in the one-day and T20 formats and one of the best cricketing captains in the world. If he can run between wickets for 50 overs, take sharp catches, and average over 50 in the one-day format, he is fit."
Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai also joined the debate, questioning the rationale behind Mohamed’s comments.
He wrote, “Most ‘unimpressive’ captain India has ever had, @drshamamohd? Really, ma’am? Where did that completely bizarre remark come from? I have played a little cricket and can tell you, purely as a long-time observer, that @ImRo45 makes some first-class decisions that show he has a superb cricket brain. He has won multiple IPL titles as captain and has led a white-ball team that’s the best in the world. In my opinion, Rohit Sharma has been a wonderful captain for Team India, someone who leads from the front and plays a fearless brand of cricket in white-ball games. (On weight, judge a player by the runs he scores, not his kilos, please.)"
Shama Mohamed responded to Sardesai's comment, defending her position by saying she was merely comparing Rohit to previous captains.
She replied, "Didn’t he move KL Rahul to bat at number 3 in the MCG Test and put himself at number 1, which backfired totally? Wasn’t that a selfish move? Because of that, Shubman Gill was out of the XI. Didn’t we lose the last World Cup, which took place in Ahmedabad? I have compared him to our previous captains"
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma got out cheaply against New Zealand in the Champion Trophy match on Sunday. Rohit started brightly, pulling pacer Mark Henry for a four and six, but perished to pull, skying pacer Kyle Jamieson to Will Young.