India fast Mohammed Siraj, who is known for using Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Siu’ celebration after taking a wicket, has opened up on his emotional tribute to late Diogo Jota in the ongoing Lord’s Test against England.
After taking the wicket of Jamie Smith on Day 2 of the ongoing third Test against England at Lord’s on Friday, Siraj honoured the late Diogo Jota after the Liverpool and Portugal footballer passed away in a fatal car crash last Thursday. He gestured number 20 – Jota’s jersey number in Liverpool – with his hands to pay tribute to the departed soul.
According to Siraj, he felt emotional after knowing about the death of Diogo Jota and thought of paying tribute to him on the ground.
“After knowing about Dioga Jota’s death, I felt emotional as I’m a Portugal fan because Cristiano Ronaldo also plays for that team,” Siraj said in a video shared by BCCI on X.
“Life is very unpredictable. We fight so hard for things, but we do not even know what tomorrow holds. There is no guarantee in life. It was very shocking. Today, I got wickets, so I wanted to make that gesture for him. It was my way of showing respect,” he added.
A heartfelt gesture!
Mohammed Siraj pays his tribute to the late Diogo Jota. pic.twitter.com/B59kmWG3TO
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 12, 2025
Notably, Jota and his brother Andre Silva passed away in a car accident in the Spanish province of Zamora. According to the Spanish police, Jota’s car veered off the road while driving at a high speed, a tyre blowout caused the car to lose control and caught fire.
Suraj’s teammate Kuldeep Yadav, who is in the squad but yet to feature in the ongoing series, had also taken to social media to send his respects to late Jota.
“Signed in 2020. Won the number 20, and made it his forever. Today, football has not lost. The whole world has lost. Your smile brought a shining light to the pitch you stepped on.
Whether it was Porto, Wolves or Liverpool. Hearts were made yours everywhere,” posted Kuldeep on X.
Signed in 2020. Won the number 20, and made it his forever.
Today, football has not lost. The whole world has lost.
Your smile brought a shining light to the pitch you stepped on.
Whether it was Porto, Wolves or Liverpool. Hearts were made yours everywhere.
My thoughts and… pic.twitter.com/gH3RPbD8XA
— Kuldeep yadav (@imkuldeep18) July 3, 2025
The 28-year-old Jota was a key figure for both Portugal and Liverpool. Since joining the club in 2020 from PL side Wolves, Jota helped them win major trophies including the Premier League, FA Cup, and two EFL Cups.
For Portugal, Jota earned 49 caps and netted 14 goals. He was part of the squad that lifted the UEFA Nations League title in 2019 and again in 2025, when Portugal defeated Spain in the final. The forward had celebrated that victory with his teammates just weeks ago.