India Congress Party is facing criticism after spokesperson Shama Mohammad’s controversial comments about cricket captain Rohit Sharma.
In a tweet, Mohammad described Rohit as “overweight” and referred to him as the “most unimpressive” captain in Indian cricket history.
This tweet quickly garnered widespread backlash, prompting the Congress party to intervene and request her to delete the post, which she subsequently did.
The deleted tweet read: “Rohit Sharma is overweight as a player! He needs to lose weight! And in fact, he is the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!”
Her remarks were met with immediate criticism, especially from members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and cricket fans.
In response to a Twitter user calling Rohit a “world-class player,” Shama Mohammad questioned his global standards, calling him an average captain and player lucky to lead India.
The BJP wasted no time in condemning Mohammad’s comments, accusing the Congress of body-shaming and disrespecting a World Cup-winning player.
Radhika Khera, a former Congress member who switched to the BJP, criticized her former party for belittling athletes over decades and now mocking a cricket legend.
She suggested that Congress should focus on its declining reputation rather than attacking a cricketer who had brought pride to India.
Shama Mohammad later defended her comments, stating that her tweet was a general observation about an athlete’s fitness, not body-shaming.
She emphasized that she believed athletes should be fit and simply noticed that Rohit appeared to be carrying extra weight.
The Congress distanced itself from Mohammad’s remarks, highlighting respect for sports icons, and Poon Khera confirmed she was asked to delete the tweet and be more cautious.
Interestingly, this controversy emerged after India defeated New Zealand by 44 runs in the final group match of the 2025 Champions Trophy, securing a spot in the semifinals.
Despite Rohit’s early dismissal, India posted a total of 249 runs, and a stellar bowling performance, led by Varun Chakravarthy, dismissed New Zealand for 205 runs.
India will now face Australia in the semifinal on March 4.
