Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed ignited controversy with her scathing remarks about Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma, criticizing his fitness and dismissing his leadership as one of the least impressive in India's cricketing history.

Taking to social media, Mohamed commented, "Rohit Sharma is overweight for an athlete! He needs to shed some kilos! And undoubtedly, the most uninspiring captain India has ever seen!"

Her statements triggered a swift backlash, particularly from BJP leaders and cricket enthusiasts. When a user defended Sharma as a "world-class player," Mohamed refuted the claim, drawing comparisons with Indian cricket legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Kapil Dev.

"What makes him world-class when measured against his predecessors? He’s an average captain and an equally average player who simply got lucky to lead India," she asserted.

The BJP promptly condemned Mohamed’s comments, accusing the Congress of engaging in "body-shaming" and undermining a celebrated World Cup-winning captain. BJP leader Radhika Khera, who previously left Congress to join the BJP, slammed her former party for its alleged history of disrespecting athletes.

"Congress has a long record of belittling sports personalities, denying them recognition, and now they have the audacity to mock a cricketing icon? A party rooted in nepotism has no right to target a self-made sportsman!" Khera retorted.

She further criticized Rahul Gandhi, pointing out that while Rohit Sharma had successfully led India to a World Cup triumph, the Congress leader struggled to keep his own party from falling into disarray. She also took a swipe at Jairam Ramesh, urging him to focus on Congress' declining relevance, reputation, and electoral standing instead of targeting an athlete who has brought pride to the nation.

"Before making cheap jabs at India's cricketing heroes, Congress should focus on its own failing dynasty!" she remarked.

Meanwhile, India registered a commanding 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final group-stage match of the 2025 Champions Trophy. Though skipper Rohit Sharma was dismissed early, India managed to post a competitive total of 249 in their 50 overs. The bowling unit, led by Varun Chakaravarthy, delivered a dominant performance, dismantling New Zealand’s batting order and restricting them to 205.

With this win, India secured a spot in the semi-finals, setting up a highly anticipated clash against Australia on March 4.