The controversy over Congress leader Dr Shama Mohamed’s body-shaming comments on Indian captain Rohit Sharma refuses to die down. Now, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his opinion on the controversy.
Gavaskar emphasised that cricket is more about mental strength, and a player’s physical appearance has nothing to do with it.
He commented that if selectors were only looking for “slim guys,” they might as well pick players from a modelling competition instead.
“I have always said, if you want only slim guys, then you should go to a modelling competition and pick all the models. It’s not about that,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“It’s about how well you can play cricket. We talked about Sarfaraz Khan-he was vilified for a long time because he was on the heavier side. But if he scores 150 for India in a Test match and follows it up with another two or three fifty-plus scores, then what’s the issue? I don’t think size has anything to do with it. It’s your mental strength-whether you can last the distance-that’s the most important thing. Bat well, bat for long, and score runs,” he added.
What Shama Mohamed said?
In a post on the social media platform Twitter (now X), Dr Shama Mohamed said that Rohit needs to lose weight as he is “fat for a sportsman”.
“Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And of course the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had! [sic],” she wrote in her post.
In another post, labelling Rohit a “mediocre” leader, Shama said: “What is so world-class about him when compared to his predecessors? He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the captain of India [sic].”
Rohit Sharma is facing criticism not only from cricket fans but also from politicians for his disappointing performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He was dismissed for 15 runs off 17 balls in India’s match against New Zealand on Sunday.
After Dr Shama Mohamed’s remarks, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy also questioned Rohit’s leadership.
Saugata Roy told ANI on Monday: “I agree; this is not about politics; this is about cricket. How many days will Rohit Sharma be given a pass? Scoring a century once in two years and getting out quickly in other matches don’t justify his place in the team. He should not remain an authority in the team. The Congress leader is correct in saying this. Even about his weight, there’s concern. Yes, he is overweight, but people don’t seem to care.”
