Champions Trophy: Shama Mohamed’s congratulatory message for Team India came after she said that Rohit Sharma needs to lose weight. However, after the backlash, the Congress leader had deleted the post from her X.
Champions Trophy: Amid a heated controversy over her remark on fat-shaming Team India captain Rohit Sharma, Congress leader Shama Mohamed on Tuesday expressed her delight over India’s thrilling victory against Australia in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy.
Mohamed, who recently faced backlash for her comments, took to social media to celebrate India’s four-wicket triumph over Australia in Dubai. She also showered praise on star batter Virat Kohli for his match-winning knock of 84 runs, which played a crucial role in securing the win. Expressing her excitement, she said she was eagerly looking forward to the final, as Team India aims to lift the prestigious trophy under Rohit Sharma’s leadership.
“I am very happy that India have won the semi-final match against Australia under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. I congratulate Virat Kohli for scoring 84 runs. I am very excited and looking forward to the final,” she told news agency ANI.
Shama Mohamed hails Virat Kohli
Mohamed also took to X to congratulate Team India for its “spectacular victory” against Steve Smith-led Australian side. She also hailed Virat Kohli for his match-winning innings and for becoming the first player to score 1000 runs in ICC knockout tournaments. “Congratulations to Team India for their spectacular victory against Australia in the semifinals of the Champions Trophy 2025. A big shout out to @imVkohli for scoring 84 and to be the first player to score 1000 runs in ICC knock out tournaments!” (sic), Congress spokesperson Mohamed wrote.
Mohamed’s U-turn following backlash
This comes after Mohamed had remarked that Rohit Sharma “needs to lose weight.” However, following widespread criticism, she deleted the post from her X account. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had condemned her remarks, accusing the Congress leader of “body-shaming” and showing disrespect to a World Cup-winning captain. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also slammed Mohamed, calling her comments “outright pathetic.”
Defending her statement, Mohamed clarified that her tweet was a general observation about an athlete’s fitness rather than an instance of body-shaming. However, the Congress distanced itself from her remarks, stating that the party “holds the contributions of sporting icons in the highest regard.”
India knock Australia out of Champions Trophy
On Tuesday, the swashbuckling batter Virat Kohli delivered a chase masterclass to knock Australia out of the tournament and send India to the final with a four-wicket win in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai. India finally savoured the sweet taste of revenge for the 2023 ODI World Cup heartbreak, which now became a distant memory as India relished its four-wicket victory in the semi-final.
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