Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed is facing fresh scrutiny on social media after her old tweet targeting Virat Kohli resurfaced amid the ongoing controversy surrounding her remarks on Indian captain Rohit Sharma. In the past, Shama Mohamed had criticized Virat Kohli for his response to a fan, remarking that he plays a “British game” while endorsing foreign brands and marrying in Italy. This statement has once again drawn sharp reactions online, particularly in light of her recent comments calling Rohit Sharma “fat” and “unimpressive.”
The controversy dates back to November 2018, when Virat Kohli, while reading public messages, came across a comment labeling him an “overrated batsman” and expressing a preference for English and Australian cricketers over Indian players. In response, Virat Kohli stated that those who love foreign players more than Indian ones “should not live in India.” This remark triggered a backlash, with Shama Mohamed taking to social media to highlight what she saw as hypocrisy. She tweeted, “Virat Kohli plays a British-invented game, makes crores from endorsing foreign brands, gets married in Italy, names Herschelle Gibbs his favorite cricketer & Angelique Kerber the best tennis player, but tells those who love foreign batsmen to leave India.”
Her old tweet has now resurfaced following her recent criticism of Rohit Sharma. In a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), Shama Mohamed called Rohit “fat for a sportsman” and “the most unimpressive captain India has ever had.” She further questioned his decision-making as captain, citing his role in moving KL Rahul to bat at number three during the MCG Test, a move that, according to her, backfired and led to Shubman Gill being dropped from the XI. She also pointed to India’s loss in the last World Cup final in Ahmedabad, arguing that Rohit does not match up to previous Indian captains like Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, and Kapil Dev.
Social media erupted with criticism, with many fans accusing Shama Mohamed of being biased against India’s top cricketers. Some users questioned whether she had an issue with every great Indian batsman, while others accused her of seeking attention by attacking celebrated players like Virat Kohli and Rohit. One social media user wrote, “She hates Rohit, she hates Virat Kohli. Why does Congress hate Indians but love Pakistan?” Another questioned her motives, asking, “Why are you so anti-India and anti-Indians? Is pulling down your own countrymen your only aim?”
In response to the backlash, Shama Mohamed defended her remarks, claiming that her comment on Rohit’s weight was not body shaming but an observation on a sportsperson’s fitness. Speaking to ANI, she said, “It was just a generic tweet about the fitness of a sportsperson. I always believe an athlete has to be fit. I felt he is a bit overweight, so I tweeted on that. I am being attacked for no reason.”
She also defended her criticism of Rohit’s captaincy, arguing that she was merely comparing him to previous Indian captains. “I have compared him to our previous captains like Dhoni, Ganguly, Dravid, Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, and Virat. What is wrong with that?” she asked. Shama Mohamed emphasized that she was merely exercising her democratic right to express an opinion, stating, “India is a democracy. I have the right to speak. What’s wrong in saying this?”
Despite her clarification, the controversy continues to rage on social media, with cricket fans fiercely debating her remarks. While some support her right to express an opinion, others argue that her repeated targeting of Indian cricketing icons suggests a pattern of bias. The debate over her comments on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli shows no signs of dying down anytime soon, as cricket remains an emotive issue in India, with passionate fans quick to defend their favorite players.
