Mohammed Siraj Dedicates Wicket to Late Footballer Diogo Jota After Tragic Accident

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, who added two more wickets to his tally on the second day of the Lord's Test against England, dedicated one of his dismissals to Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota, who recently passed away in a road accident. Siraj, a self-professed football fan, paid a unique tribute to Jota, whose jersey number was 20, after dismissing England's wicketkeeper-batsman Jamie Smith.

Following Smith's wicket, taken on the second ball of the 107th over during England's first innings, Siraj made a "20" sign with his fingers and then raised both hands towards the sky in a gesture of remembrance. He later revealed the significance of his celebration after the end of the day's play.

Diogo Jota, a prominent attacking player for Liverpool and the Portugal national team, tragically died in a car accident on July 3 near Zamora in north-western Spain. The 28-year-old star, known for his aggressive play, was in jersey number 20 for Liverpool. His brother, André Silva, also passed away in the same accident. Siraj, who often incorporates Cristiano Ronaldo's celebration into his wicket-taking rituals, expressed his profound sadness over Jota's demise.

In a video released by the BCCI, Siraj explained his tribute: "During the last match, I came to know that star football player Diogo Jota died in a car accident. I am a fan of the Portugal team, and Jota used to play for this team. That's why I became very emotional. I wanted to pay tribute to him in the last match itself, but I could not do so. I paid tribute to him after taking a wicket in this match."

He further added, "In life, there is no guarantee of what will happen. I had told Kuldeep Yadav about this, today I got the chance so I dedicated my wicket to Jota."

Jota was an integral part of Liverpool's success, contributing significantly to their Premier League title win in the recently concluded season. He also played a key role in Portugal's Nations League final victory in June under Cristiano Ronaldo's captaincy. Over his career, Jota made 49 international appearances for Portugal, scoring 14 goals. He joined Liverpool in 2020 and scored 47 goals in 123 matches for the club over five years.