Following India’s victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the final, national spokesperson Dr. Shama Mohamed has made headlines once again.

India’s win secured them a record-breaking third Champions Trophy title, with Rohit Sharma leading from the front and contributing a brilliant 76 runs. The victory was widely celebrated across the nation, with prominent figures such as President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar extending their congratulations to the Men in Blue.

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However, a few days prior, Dr. Mohamed had come under fire for her criticism of Sharma’s fitness and leadership, but it seems she has now made a surprising turnaround. In a post on social media following India’s triumph, Mohamed praised the captain’s performance, writing: “Congratulations to #TeamIndia for their stupendous performance in winning the #ChampionsTrophy2025! 🇮🇳🏆 Hats off to Captain @ImRo45 who led from the front with a brilliant 76, setting the tone for victory. @ShreyasIyer15 and @klrahul played crucial knocks, steering India to glory!”

Interestingly, Mohamed had earlier sparked backlash after she made disparaging remarks about Sharma’s fitness and leadership. In a now-deleted post, Mohamed had called Sharma "overweight" and labelled him "the most unimpressive captain India has ever had." These comments were met with widespread criticism from BJP leaders, cricket fans, and social media users, who accused her of disrespecting a national sports icon.

In response to the controversy, the Congress party swiftly distanced itself from Mohamed's remarks. Party spokesperson Pawan Khera issued a statement clarifying that her comments did not reflect the official position of the Congress party. "Dr. Shama Mohamed made certain remarks about a cricketing legend that do not reflect the party's position," Khera stated. "She has been asked to delete the concerned social media posts and has been advised to exercise greater caution in the future."

Khera further emphasised that the party holds the contributions of sporting icons in the highest regard and does not support any statements that undermine their legacy. "The Indian National Congress holds the contributions of sporting icons in the highest regard and does not endorse any statements that undermine their legacy," Khera added.

Congress MP Rajani Patil also expressed disapproval of Mohamed’s comments, stressing that the party does not condone body-shaming. "I personally, and the party, also will not approve of body-shaming anyone. Talking this way about a sportsperson who represents the country is not right. The party will seek a response from her on this," Patil said.

In the aftermath of the criticism, Mohamed attempted to clarify her position, asserting that her comments were not intended to body-shame but were merely an observation on Sharma’s fitness. "It was not body-shaming. I have always believed that 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 made a statement. I have the right. What is wrong in saying that? It is a democracy," she said.

However, her clarification did little to quell the backlash from BJP leaders. Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to social media to draw a sharp contrast between the Congress party’s criticism of Sharma and the track record of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has faced repeated election defeats. "Those who have lost 90 elections under the captaincy of Rahul Gandhi are calling the captaincy of Rohit Sharma unimpressive! I guess 6 ducks in Delhi and 90 election losses is impressive, but winning a T20 World Cup isn’t! Rohit has a brilliant track record as captain, by the way!" Poonawalla posted on X.

BJP leader Radhika Khera also lashed out at the Congress party, accusing it of disrespecting Indian athletes and undermining their contributions. "The party that thrives on nepotism is lecturing a self-made champion? Rohit Sharma is a World Cup-winning captain. Your leader, Rahul Gandhi, can’t even captain his own party without crashing it into the ground!" she said.

This controversy continues to swirl around the Congress party's handling of Dr. Mohamed's comments, highlighting the delicate balance between sports, politics, and public figures in India.