Shama Mohamed, a Congress leader, recently made a controversial comment on India skipper Rohit Sharma. By referring to Rohit Sharma as “fat for a sportsman,” the lawmaker made a body-shaming statement. Shama Mohamed stated that Rohit has to reduce his weight in a post on the social media site X. After Shama Mohamed made a contentious remark that has since been removed, former Indian cricket player Sunil Gavaskar stood up for the Indian captain.
Shama Mohamed’s comment about Rohit Sharma being “fat”:
Addressing the present Indian skipper, Shama Mohamed stated in a post on X,
“Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And of course the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had!”
Widespread public outrage rose after this remark and Shama deleted her post amid the outrage.
Gavaskar took the initiative to back Rohit Sharma:
Gavaskar expressed his belief that a player’s physical attributes have no bearing on cricket, which is more about mental toughness. He added that there would have been models on the team if fitness had been the primary selection factor. According to Gavaskar, India Today
“I have always said, if you want only slim guys, then you should go to a modelling competition and pick all the models. It’s not about that”
He added,
“It’s about how well you can play cricket. We talked about Sarfaraz Khan-he was vilified for a long time because he was on the heavier side. But if he scores 150 for India in a Test match and follows it up with another two or three fifty-plus scores, then what’s the issue? I don’t think size has anything to do with it. It’s your mental strength-whether you can last the distance-that’s the most important thing. Bat well, bat for long, and score runs”
Shama Mohamed called Rohit a “mediocre” leader in a different piece by contrasting him with other Indian captains.
She wrote to Rohit Sharma specifically,
“What is so world-class about him when compared to his predecessors? He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the captain of India”
Even Shama’s own party, Congress, has turned away from her in the wake of this issue and her body-shaming comments on Rohit. Pawan Khera, chairman of the Congress’s media and publicity department, stated,
“The Indian National Congress holds the contributions of sporting icons in the highest regard and does not endorse any statements that undermine their legacy”
Additionally, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised Shama’s comments.
Later, Shama explained that her tweet was not intended for body-shaming but rather was generic.
She stated in an interview with ANI,
“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…”
#WATCH | On her comment on Indian Cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, Congress leader Shama Mohammed says, "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… pic.twitter.com/OBiLk84Mjh
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2025
Here is how netizens reacted
Regarding Rohit Sharma, the captain is prepared with his squad for Tuesday’s crucial Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final matchup against Australia in Dubai.
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