‘If you want slim guys, then go to modelling competition’ – Firstpost

Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar has slammed Congress leader Shama Mohamed for calling Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma “fat”.

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Shama Mohamed sparked a massive controversy after she questioned
Rohit’s “unimpressive” captaincy and his weight during India’s match against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025.

Gavaskar: ‘Look at Rohit’s performance, not his weight’

While the Congress politician has been facing criticism from all the corners, batting great Gavaskar has now joined the chorus, saying that Rohit’s performance is important and not his weight.

“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,” he 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.”

Shama has since defended her remarks despite deleting the post from X.

“It was a generic tweet about the fitness of a sportsperson. It was not body-shaming. I always believed a sportsperson should be fit, and I felt he was a bit overweight, so I just tweeted about that. I have been attacked for no reason. When I compared him with previous captains, I put in a statement. I have the right. What is wrong in saying? It is a democracy…,” she told ANI.

Meanwhile, Rohit will be looking to put in a memorable performance yet again as
India play against Australia in the Championship Trophy 2025 semi-final on Tuesday.