'Rohit Sharma is fat': Congress leader Shama Mohamed sparks controversy over captain's fitness

Congress leader Shama Mohamed stirred controversy on Sunday by questioning Indian men’s cricket captain Rohit Sharma’s leadership, calling him "unimpressive" and criticizing his fitness.

In a post on X, Mohamed also took a dig at Sharma’s physique, stating that he is “fat” and needs to lose weight.
Her remarks came after Sharma, 37, was dismissed early in India’s match against New Zealand, a game the team ultimately won by 44 runs.


"@ImRo45 is fat for a sportsman! Needs to lose weight! And of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!" Mohamed said.

Her comments drew sharp criticism, including from senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, who defended Sharma, praising his ‘superb cricket brain’. Sardesai called Mohamed’s remark “bizarre” and pointed out that Sharma has a proven track record as captain.

"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 first-class decisions and has a superb cricket brain. He has won multiple IPL titles and has led a white-ball team that is the best in the world. IMHO, Rohit Sharma has been a wonderful captain for Team India, leading from the front and playing a fearless brand of cricket. (On weight, judge a player by the runs he scores, not his kilos, please.)," Sardesai wrote.

Responding to Sardesai, Mohamed doubled down on her criticism, citing Sharma’s decision to have KL Rahul bat at No. 3 in the 2022 Melbourne Test, which India lost. She also referenced India’s defeat in the 2023 World Cup final.
"Didn’t he move KL Rahul to No. 3 in the MCG Test and put himself at No. 1, which backfired completely? Wasn’t that a selfish move? Because of that, Shubman Gill was out of the XI. Didn’t we lose the last World Cup final in Ahmedabad? I have compared him to our previous captains," she wrote.

However, her response also drew attention for an apparent typo, as she misspelled Shubman Gill’s name as “Shubam Gill.”

Mohamed, however, deleted the post later.