A fat-shaming row broke out in Indian cricket on Monday when Rohit Sharma, the captain, was accused by a politician of being “fat for a sportsperson”.
Sharma, who turns 38 next month, is leading the Indian cricket team in the Champions Trophy, and was criticised for his weight by Shama Mohamed, a spokesperson for the Indian National Congress party.
“Need to lose weight, And of course the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!” Mohamed said in a post on X late on Sunday night. The post has since been deleted.
The Congress said Mohamed’s post did not reflect the party’s position and that she had been asked to delete the message.
Sharma also found support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, as well the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which said such comments could have an adverse effect on the team.
“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 defended her comment, saying her post was a generic comment on the fitness of a sportsperson and did not amount to body-shaming.
“I felt he is overweight and tweeted about it. I have been attacked for no reason,” she said.
Sharma retired from Twenty20 international cricket minutes after leading the team to their World Cup triumph last year.
