'Shame on Rohit Sharma': Indian captain's new profile pic with tricolour flag sparks outrage among netizens

A week into leading Team India to a joyous T20 World Cup victory in Barbados, captain Rohit Sharma has sparked controversy with his new profile picture on X, formerly known as Twitter.

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/aDJFxW8783

¡ª Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) July 8, 2024

Numerous social media users have accused the celebrated Indian cricketer of disrespecting the Indian national flag following the his social media profile picture update.

Rohit Sharma's picture with the flag draws criticism

The most recent profile image of Rohit Sharma on his X account is him holding the Indian flag, taken soon after Team India's triumph in the Barbados T20 World Cup final.

Diverse responses have been sparked by the photograph on social media.Because of the state of the Indian flag in the image, many users have deemed the picture to be unsuitable.

Part of the tricolour is visible on the ground as Sharma is seen in the picture clutching the Indian flag. Many people on social media have referred to this as a disrespectful conduct.

Shame on Rohit Sharma for disrespecting my beautiful national flag ? https://t.co/XQmVaDlm4e pic.twitter.com/MGh22JuFYV

¡ª `` (@KohlifiedGal) July 8, 2024

One X user, expressing disappointment with the photo, wrote, ¡°The flag shall not be allowed intentionally to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water.¡± This comment referenced a clause from the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. According to the Act, ¡°the Flag shall not be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or floor or trail in water.¡±

Another user retweeted Sharma's photo, stating, ¡°Shame on Rohit Sharma for disrespecting my beautiful national flag.¡± Yet another user added, ¡°flag code of India Part - III, section - IV, 3.20 ¡®The flag shall not be allowed to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water.¡¯ It comes under incorrect display. Please @ImRo45 don¡¯t disrespect the Indian flag.¡±

Rohit Sharma's retirement and future plans

Apart from the issue surrounding his profile photo, Rohit garnered media attention for the unusual way he celebrated the win. He took a blade of grass and several pieces of the pitch, scraping them into his mouth.

Elaborating this gesture in a video posted by the BCCI, Sharma said, ¡°You know... I was feeling the moment when I went to the pitch because that pitch gave us this. We played on that particular pitch and we won the game, that particular ground as well. I will remember that ground forever in my life and that pitch as well. So I wanted to have a piece of it with me. So yeah, those moments are very, very special. And the place where all our dreams came true, I wanted something of it. That was the feeling behind it.¡±

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AP

Notably, Rohit Sharma declared his retirement from Twenty20 international cricket after world cup win; however, he will still lead the side in ODIs and Test matches. The most recent reports have revealed that it is unlikely that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have already retired from T20 Internationals,will play in the forthcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka.

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It has been claimed that they had asked for an extended vacation from the board following several months of nonstop cricket. It is anticipated that both players will return for the domestic Test season, which includes games against New Zealand and Bangladesh, and then travel to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The Champions Trophy, which would be held in Pakistan the following year, will be the pair's next significant ODI assignment.

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