‘Sarfaraz Khan was vilified as he was on heavier side’: Gavaskar says ‘pick models if you want slim’ on Rohit ‘fat’ row

India great Sunil Gavaskar has said that cricket is all about mental strength and a player’s body shape often has nothing to do with it amid the row over Congress’s Shama Mohamed calling Rohit Sharma “fat”. Gavaskar said that batting well and long and scoring runs is what matters and if you do that, the rest of the factors hardly matter.

“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,” said Gavaskar on 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,” said the former India captain.

Shama Mohamed’s comments spark a row

Shama Mohamed’s comments were made in a post on X that she has since deleted. “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.

The comments were almost universally slammed and even the Congress party distanced itself from Mohamed. “The Indian National Congress holds the contributions of sporting icons in the highest regard and does not endorse any statements that undermine their legacy,” Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said.