India secured a commanding 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final group-stage clash of the 2025 Champions Trophy, booking their spot in the semifinals against Australia on March 4.
Despite a below-par performance from key batters, including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, India managed to post a competitive total of 249 in 50 overs. Rohit was dismissed for 15 runs off 17 balls, sparking discussions on social media about his form. However, the Indian bowling attack, led by Varun Chakaravarthy, delivered a stellar performance, bundling out New Zealand for 205.
Those who have lost 90 elections under captaincy of Rahul Gandhi are calling captaincy of Rohit Sharma unimpressive!
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) March 3, 2025
I guess 6 ducks in Delhi and 90 election losses is impressive but winning T20 World Cup isn’t!
Rohit has a brilliant track record as captain by the way! pic.twitter.com/5xE8ecrr4x
Meanwhile, a controversy erupted after Congress spokesperson Dr. Shama Mohamed criticised Rohit Sharma's fitness and captaincy. In a now-deleted post, she wrote, "Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Needs to lose weight! And, of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!"
Following the backlash, Mohamed defended her statement, claiming it was a "generic" remark about the importance of fitness for athletes. "It was not body-shaming. I have always believed a sports person should be fit. I felt he was a bit overweight, so I tweeted about it. I am being attacked for no reason. This is a democracy; I have the right to express my opinion," she told ANI.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also reacted to her deleted tweet, accusing the Congress of targeting the Indian cricket team. "Those who once opposed the country are now going after our players. The Congress, which calls itself a 'Mohabbat ki dukan' [shop of love], is actually spreading 'Nafrat ke bhajan' [messages of hate]," he remarked.
#WATCH | On her comment on Indian Cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, Congress leader Shama Mohammed says, "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… pic.twitter.com/OBiLk84Mjh
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2025
Here's how the Internet reacted to Congress's scathing attack on Rohit Sharma:
A user said, "That's absolutely not acceptable to say to one of the country's best white ball player. And with that same body he had scored tons of runs. Respect isn't needed, at least don't degrade the players."
On March 4, all eyes will be on the team's performance and their quest for the Champions Trophy title.
