BCCI issues a strong response to criticism of Rohit Sharma's physical appearance: 'Team performance in Champions Trophy is our focus'

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has come to the defense of India captain Rohit Sharma following a controversial statement made by Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed. Mohamed's derogatory remarks about Sharma's appearance and place on the team were quickly deleted, but the damage had already been done as the incident sparked a heated debate.

"It's very unfortunate this kind of remarks come from such a person who is on a responsible post to our captain, on a meanwhile time when India is playing an ICC tournament and the team is all set to play Semi final," said Saikia on ANI.

Saikia further said that all players are performing to their "highest potential" and that comments like these could have a "demoralising effect" on the team. India are currently in Dubai playing in the 2025 Champions Trophy. They were dominant in the group stage and have sailed into the semi-finals where they face World Cup champions Australia on Monday.

"Very unfortunate for a responsible person to pass such a trivial comment when the team is in the middle of such a crucial ICC tournament. It may have demoralising effect on an individual or the team. All the players are performing to their highest potential and results are visible. I hope individuals will desist from making such derogatory statements for personal publicity sake," Saikia told .

'Fat for a sportsperson'

Mohamed said in the post that Rohit is the "most unimpressive captain India has ever had. "Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And of course the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had!" she said.

In another post, she compared Sharma to former captains of the Indian cricket team and called him a “mediocre” player and captain. “What is so world-class about him when compared to his predecessors? He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the captain of India,” she said.

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