The Champions Trophy 2025 has sparked an off-field controversy after Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed criticized Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, calling him ‘fat’ and a ‘mediocre captain’ in a social media post. Her remarks came during India’s group-stage match against New Zealand, which India won by 44 runs to secure their place in the semi-finals. However, the Congress spokesperson was not happy with the Indian captain.

Shama, in her now-deleted post, wrote, “Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Needs to lose weight! And of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!” Her comments drew widespread criticism from fans and political figures, forcing her to delete the tweet.

In another post, she further questioned Rohit’s stature compared to Indian cricketing legends. “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,” she stated.

Following the backlash, Shama defended her remarks while speaking to ANI, claiming they were not intended as 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 asserted.

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla was quick to respond, taking a swipe at the Congress party’s electoral failures. “Those who have lost 90 elections under the captaincy of Rahul Gandhi are calling the captaincy of Rohit Sharma unimpressive!” he said.

Defending Rohit’s leadership, Poonawalla added, “I guess six ducks in Delhi and 90 election losses are impressive, but winning the T20 World Cup isn’t! Rohit has a brilliant track record as captain, by the way!”

Despite the controversy, India continued their dominance on the field, securing a crucial 44-run win over New Zealand. Shreyas Iyer’s composed 79 and Varun Chakravarthy’s five-wicket haul guided India to the top of Group A, setting up a high-stakes semi-final clash against Australia.

As the tournament progresses, all eyes remain on India’s campaign, while the off-field debate surrounding Rohit Sharma’s leadership and fitness rages on.

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