Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma faced fat-shaming comments from Congress leader Shama Mohamed, sparking significant controversy across cricket and political circles. Sharma, a highly respected player, was criticized for his weight in a now-deleted social media post. The Indian National Congress spokesperson’s remarks were labeled as “unfortunate” by BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, who emphasized that such comments can negatively affect a player’s morale during an important ICC tournament. The backlash included accusations of body shaming from the Bharatiya Janata Party. At the time, Sharma and his team were in Dubai, progressing to the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals.
Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma became the center of an unwarranted debate on Monday when Congress leader Shama Mohamed criticized him for his weight on social media. The politician’s comments sparked significant controversy, eliciting reactions from both the cricketing and political communities across the nation. Rohit Sharma, one of the most celebrated cricketers of recent times, was singled out by the national spokesperson of the Indian National Congress, who emphasized that the prominent athlete ‘needs to lose weight’.
As the situation escalated into a major controversy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia labeled the comments ‘unfortunate’, noting that such statements during an ICC event could negatively impact a cricketer’s morale.
“It’s very unfortunate for an individual in a responsible position to make such a trivial comment while the team is in the midst of a crucial ICC tournament. This could have a demoralizing effect on both the individual and the team. All the players are performing at their best and the results reflect that. I hope individuals will refrain from making such derogatory statements for their own personal publicity,” BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia shared with NDTV in an exclusive interview.
“The team is in the middle of a crucial tournament. It may have a demoralizing effect on the team and players”: BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia to NDTV on Congress leader Shama Mohamed fat-shaming Rohit Sharma
— NDTV (@ndtv) March 3, 2025
In her now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), Shama stated: “@ImRo45 is fat for a sportsman! He needs to lose weight! And, of course, he is the most unimpressive captain India has ever had.”
The post provoked a strong backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which accused her of “body shaming” the celebrated batsman and mocked the Congress party’s electoral record.
#WATCH | Responding to her comment on Indian Cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, Congress leader Shama Mohammed claims, “It was a general tweet about the fitness of an athlete. It was not body-shaming. I have always believed that a sportsperson should be fit, and I felt he was a bit overweight, so I… pic.twitter.com/OBiLk84Mjh
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2025
Currently, Rohit is with the Indian team in Dubai for the ICC Champions Trophy. The team has already secured a place in the semi-finals, where they will face Australia. Rohit’s Team India has won all group-stage matches, advancing to the last four with a perfect record.
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