Shama Mohammed, Who Criticized Kohli Before, Now Praises Him in Tweet
Team India secured a remarkable victory over Australia in the first semifinal of the Champions Trophy held in Dubai on Tuesday. Rohit Sharma’s team defeated Australia by four wickets, avenging their loss in the ODI World Cup final. The win has been widely celebrated, drawing praise from various quarters.
Among those who reacted to the victory was Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed, who has recently faced criticism for body-shaming remarks against India’s captain Rohit Sharma. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), she congratulated Team India on their win.
"Congratulations to Team India on their spectacular victory against Australia in the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal. Special appreciation for Virat Kohli, who not only scored 84 crucial runs but also became the first player to reach 1,000 runs in ICC knockout tournaments," Shama Mohammed tweeted.
Her praise for Kohli is noteworthy, given her past controversial remarks about him. Previously, a cricket fan had expressed a preference for watching English and Australian batsmen over Indian players, adding that Kohli was "unnecessarily hyped."
In response, Kohli had sharply retorted, "I don’t mind if you don’t like me. But if you prefer players from other countries, there’s no need for you to stay in India. You should go and live there instead."
At the time, Shama Mohammed had strongly criticized Kohli’s statement, saying, "Virat Kohli plays a sport invented by the British, promotes foreign brands to earn millions, got married in Italy, and names foreign athletes like Herschelle Gibbs and Angelique Kerber as his favorites. Yet, he tells Indians who admire foreign batsmen to leave the country."
Her latest tweet praising Kohli has now drawn attention, given her previous criticism of him.
Meanwhile, the second semifinal of the Champions Trophy is set to take place in Lahore today, where South Africa will face New Zealand. The winner of this match will play against India in the final on March 9 in Dubai.