India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj spoke about the emotional tribute he paid to the late Liverpool and Portugal footballer Diogo Jota. On Day 2 of the third Test against England at Lord’s (Friday, July 11), Siraj marked Jamie Smith’s dismissal with a ‘20’ hand gesture, a touching reference to Jota’s jersey number.
Jota tragically lost his life in a car crash in Spain on July 3, alongside his brother André Silva. Just weeks prior, he had played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s Premier League title win and Portugal’s UEFA Nations League victory on June 8. He is survived by his wife, Rute Cardoso, and their three children.
On July 12, the BCCI posted a video on X where Siraj shared the reason behind his gesture. A devoted Portugal fan, he said he was deeply shocked by Jota’s sudden death and felt a strong desire to pay his respects. Mohammed Siraj also revealed he had discussed the tribute in advance with teammate Kuldeep Yadav.
Siraj stated:
“Last match mein jab hum log aa rahe the, tab pata chala tha ki Diogo Jota ka accident mein death ho gaya hai. Kyunki main Portugal ka fan hoon, kyunki CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) wahan se khelte hain. Emotional feel hua mujhe.”
“Toh mujhe last match mein karna tha, but life is very unpredictable — hum kiske liye lad rahe hain, kis ke liye kar rahe hain, jab kal ka hi pata nahi hai. Life ka kuch bharosa nahi hai.”
“Toh ekdum mujhe shock lag gaya ki aisa kaise ho sakta hai — woh bhi car accident! Aaj mujhe wicket mili, toh maine socha ki tribute doon unhe, kyunki unka jersey number 20 tha. Main Kuldeep ko bola tha ki main aise tribute dena chahta hoon Jota ko, toh aaj wicket ke baad diya.”
A heartfelt gesture!
Mohammed Siraj pays his tribute to the late Diogo Jota. pic.twitter.com/B59kmWG3TO
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 12, 2025
“You Won Hearts Everywhere” – Kuldeep Yadav’s Emotional Tribute To Diogo Jota
Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav also expressed his grief over the passing of footballer Diogo Jota with a heartfelt message. On July 4, the 30-year-old took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his tribute, writing:
“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 prayers to his entire family. May you rest in peace Diogo.”
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
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