"Main Kuldeep ko bola tha" - Mohammed Siraj's big revelation on Diogo Jota tribute during Day 2 of ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test [Watch]

India pacer Mohammed Siraj has reflected on the emotional tribute he paid to late Liverpool and Portugal footballer Diogo Jota. On Day 2 (Friday, July 11) of the third Test against England at Lord’s, Siraj celebrated the dismissal of Jamie Smith by gesturing ‘20’ with his hands — a heartfelt nod to Jota’s jersey.

Jota tragically passed away in a car accident in Spain on Thursday, July 3, along with his brother André Silva. Just weeks earlier, he had helped Liverpool lift the 2024–25 Premier League title and played a key role in Portugal’s UEFA Nations League triumph on June 8. He is survived by his wife, Rute Cardoso, and their three children.

On Saturday, July 12, the BCCI shared a video on X featuring Siraj, in which he spoke about his tribute to the late footballer. A Portugal supporter, Siraj said he was taken aback by the news of Jota’s passing and felt compelled to honour him during the match. He also mentioned discussing his plan with teammate Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the game.

Siraj said:

"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."

[While we were arriving for the last match, I got to know that Diogo Jota had passed away in an accident. I'm a fan of Portugal because CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) plays for them. I felt really emotional. I had planned to do something in the last match itself, but life is so unpredictable — we don't even know who we're fighting for or doing things for when tomorrow itself is uncertain. There's no guarantee in life. I was completely shocked — how could something like this happen, and that too in a car accident? Today, when I took a wicket, I thought of paying tribute to him because his jersey number was 20. I had told Kuldeep that I wanted to dedicate a tribute to Jota, so I did it after taking the wicket today].

Siraj picked up two wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah led the attack with a five-wicket haul as England were bowled out for 387 in their first innings. In reply, the visitors reached 145/3 at the close of Day 2, with KL Rahul (53) and Rishabh Pant (19) unbeaten at the crease after 43 overs.

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“Hearts were made yours everywhere” - Kuldeep Yadav’s tribute to Diogo Jota

India spinner Kuldeep Yadav also shared a heartfelt post to pay tribute to late footballer Diogo Jota. On July 4, the 30-year-old posted on X, 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.”

Meanwhile, Kuldeep remains part of the ongoing India-England Test series but is yet to make an appearance in the playing XI.