A female politician has come under fire after publicly fat-shaming Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma – and refusing to back away from her shocking outburst.
Shama Mohamed, a spokesperson for the Congress – India’s main opposition party – tweeted that the decorated batsman is ‘fat for a sportsperson.’
It comes with Sharma, 37, currently leading the Indian team in the ICC Champions Trophy.
They take on Australia on Tuesday night from 8pm AEDT in Dubai for a spot in the final.
‘Need to lose weight, and of course the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!’ Mohamed posted in a now-deleted X post on Sunday.
The Congress said her explosive tweet ‘did not reflect the party’s position’ and urged her to remove it.
A female politician has come under fire after publicly fat-shaming Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma (pictured)
Shama Mohamed (pictured), a spokesperson for the Congress, India’s main opposition party, tweeted the decorated batsman is ‘fat for a sportsperson’
Mohamed was anything but remorseful, later stating Sharma ‘is overweight’ and she was ‘attacked for no reason’
It is understood the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were concerned the tweet could distract the playing group.
‘It is very unfortunate that these derogatory, demoralising comments are being made when the team is in the crucial stage of a global tournament,’ BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told Reuters.
Mohamed was far from remorseful.
She defended her tweet, adamant that Sharma needs to be in better shape.
‘I felt he is overweight and tweeted about it. I have been attacked for no reason,’ she said.
Under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, Sharma was dropped from the Test side due to poor fitness.
He stood down as T20 captain after winning the World Cup last year – but was poor in the recent away Test series against Australia.
Meanwhile, Tuesday’s night blockbuster clash against Steve Smith’s men is being played in Dubai as India expressed security concerns about playing their matches in Pakistan.
It comes with Sharma currently leading the Indian team in the ICC Champions Trophy
Australia take on India on Tuesday night from 8pm AEDT in Dubai for a spot in the final of the Champions Trophy (pictured, Aussie skipper Steve Smith)
The Aussie squad flew to Dubai last weekend without knowing who their semi-final opponent would be, risking another 2000km flight back to Pakistan.
But after India beat New Zealand in the final group match, South Africa – who also travelled with Australia – will now head back to Pakistan ahead of their showdown with the Kiwis on March 5.
‘We guessed right in the end and now have the chance to get used to the conditions,’ Smith said.
‘We are well prepared and looking forward to it.’
