Led from the front: Shama Mohamed who' fat-shamed' Rohit Sharma lauds him after India's Champions Trophy win

Congress leader Shama Mohamed lauds Rohit Sharma’s performance in Champions Trophy after fat-shaming controversy

Congress leader Shama Mohamed, who had previously sparked controversy by raising doubts about Rohit Sharma's fitness, congratulated the Team India captain on Sunday for leading his side to a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final in Dubai.

In a post on X, Mohamed lauded Rohit Sharma’s 76-run innings moments after India's victory against New Zealand, saying it was key to India’s Champions Trophy win after 12 years. She also praised the crucial knocks played by middle-order batsmen Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul during India’s innings.

Congratulations to #TeamIndia for their stupendous performance in winning the #ChampionsTrophy2025! Hats off to Captain @ImRo45 who led from the front with a brilliant 76, setting the tone for victory. @ShreyasIyer15 and @klrahul played crucial knocks, steering India to

Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) March 9, 2025

"Congratulations to #TeamIndia for their stupendous performance in winning the #ChampionsTrophy2025! Hats off to Captain @ImRo45 who led from the front with a brilliant 76, setting the tone for victory. @ShreyasIyer15 and @klrahul played crucial knocks, steering India to glory!" she tweeted.

Shama Mohamed had created controversy on social media by calling Rohit Sharma "fat for a sportsman" and suggesting that he should lose weight. She also criticized him as "the most unimpressive captain India has ever had."

In her now-deleted post on X, Shama Mohamed wrote, "Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!"

The BJP promptly condemned Mohamed's comments, accusing Congress of "body-shaming" and disrespecting a World Cup champion. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya sharply criticized Mohamed's remark, calling it "utterly pathetic."

In her defense, Mohamed explained that her tweet was merely a general comment on an athlete's fitness, not an example of body-shaming.

Rohit Sharma, named Player of the Match for his 76, along with crucial contributions from Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul, helped India successfully chase down 252 against New Zealand, securing their third Champions Trophy title.

This marks India's third ICC Champions Trophy title, following a shared victory with Sri Lanka in 2002 and a second win under 'Captain Cool' MS Dhoni in 2013.

During the chase of 252 runs, Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill provided a solid start. Rohit took the aggressive approach against the pacers, including scoring 14 runs off Nathan Smith in the eighth over, with two fours and a six.