Congress leader Shama Mohamed, who had earlier stirred controversy by questioning Rohit Sharma’s fitness, on Sunday congratulated the Indian captain for leading his team to a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final held in Dubai.

Moments after India’s triumph, Mohamed took to X to laud Rohit Sharma’s innings of 76 runs, noting that it set the tone for the Men in Blue to lift the Champions Trophy after 12 years. She also praised middle-order batters Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul for their crucial contributions during the chase.

Rohit Sharma, who was named Player of the Match for his 76, played a pivotal role in India’s successful chase of 252, supported by determined efforts from Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul. With the win, India claimed their third Champions Trophy title.

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What is the controversy surrounding Shama Mohamed?

On March 3, Mohamed faced backlash over a now-deleted post in which she called Rohit Sharma “fat for a sportsperson” and the “most unimpressive” captain in India’s history.

“Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!” her post had been read.

The BJP strongly criticised her comments, accusing the Congress of “body-shaming” and disrespecting a World Cup-winning cricketer. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also condemned the remarks, labeling them “outright pathetic”.

Mohamed later defended her post, clarifying that it was intended as a general observation on an athlete’s fitness and not an act of body-shaming.

The Congress party distanced itself from her comments, asserting that it “holds the contributions of sporting icons in the highest regard”. Party leader Pawan Khera said Mohamed was asked to delete her post and had been “advised to exercise greater caution in the future”.

Shama Mohamed trolled

Meanwhile, Shama Mohamed also faced trolling on social media. X users responded sharply in the comments, with one saying, “A perfect example of ‘Burn them with your smile and bury them with your success.'”

Another user questioned her role in the Congress, writing, “What are your qualifications, that you are given such an important position in the Congress? You are unfit to lead, you have no sense of what to speak, when to speak. Because of your unwarranted comments, the morale of the captain and the team could have got impacted. Bloody loser!”

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