Image: Saugata Roy criticized Rohit Sharma following Shama Mohamed / © NDTV
In the aftermath of India’s 44-run victory over New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, a political controversy erupted over comments about Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s fitness and leadership. Congress leader Shama Mohamed criticized Rohit, stating he was “fat for a sportsman” and “India’s most unimpressive captain”. The comment, made on X (formerly Twitter), was later deleted but sparked widespread debate.
Mohamed defended her statement, claiming it was a general observation on athlete fitness, not body-shaming. However, BJP leaders accused her of disrespecting a successful cricketer while highlighting Congress’s poor electoral track record, stating a party that lost “90 elections” had no grounds to criticize a winning captain. TMC MP Saugata Roy supported Mohamed’s remarks, agreeing that Rohit Sharma should not be in the team.
Rohit had scored 15 off 17 balls in the match against New Zealand before being dismissed. Despite this, India remained unbeaten in Group A, securing a semifinal spot. The political spat over his fitness overshadowed India’s strong performance, with debates continuing on whether such criticism was justified or an unnecessary attack on one of India’s most experienced players.