Rohit Sharma Body Shaming Row: Former Cricketers and Politicians React

Image credits: Courtesy: AP

The recent comments made by Congress leader Shama Mohamed on Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma have sparked a massive row, with former cricketers and politicians reacting sharply to her body shaming remarks. Mohamed had called Sharma "fat for a sportsman" and "the most unimpressive captain India has ever had" in a now-deleted post on X. Former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad said that body-shaming Rohit Sharma is absolutely pathetic, given his several achievements for Indian cricket. Prasad mentioned that Rohit has maintained great dignity as a captain and led India to a T-20 WC win, and that such comments are uncalled for.

Atul Wassan, another former Indian cricketer, dismissed Mohamed's remarks, saying they lack understanding of the game. Wassan stated that Rohit is a World Cup-winning captain and that his statement should not be taken seriously as she doesn’t understand match fitness and what kind of captain he is. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia also condemned Mohamed's remarks, calling them inappropriate and ill-timed. Saikia said that these comments are baseless and derogatory, and that when the team is playing in the Champions Trophy and doing well, this is the time when one needs to support Team India.

The controversy also drew sharp reactions from BJP leaders, with Shehzad Poonawalla mocking the Congress over Mohamed's statement. Poonawalla said that those who have lost 90 elections under the captaincy of Rahul Gandhi are calling the captaincy of Rohit Sharma unimpressive. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also came out in support of Sharma, saying that it is his work and commitment to it that matters, and that winning the trophy is what makes a champion. Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Ray, however, supported Mohamed's comments, saying that Rohit Sharma's performance has been quite poor and that he shouldn't be on the team.

Here are some of Rohit Sharma's achievements in cricket:

• He led India to their second T20 World Cup triumph in 2024, being the second-highest run scorer of the tournament with 257 runs from eight innings.
• He has 11064 runs in his ODI career at an average of 48.74 with 32 centuries and 57 fifties.
• He recently became the second-fastest player to complete 11,000 runs in the format in 261 innings.
• He’s also the all-time leading run scorer in T20Is with 4231 runs to his name with the joint-highest five centuries in the format.
• He has smashed the most number of sixes in T20Is (205) and overall in international cricket (633).

Rohit Sharma has a stellar record in IPL too, having led the Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles as captain. The India captain has scored 76 runs from three innings in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy and will be hungry for a big knock against Australia in the semi-final.

The Congress has distanced itself from Mohamed's remarks, with party media and publicity department head Pawan Khera stating that her comments do not reflect the party's position. Khera said that Mohamed had been advised to exercise greater caution in the future. The controversy has sparked a debate on social media, with many calling for respect for the Indian cricket team and its captain. As the team prepares to take on Australia in the semi-final, fans will be hoping for a big win and an end to the controversy surrounding Rohit Sharma's captaincy.

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