'Because I am a Portugal fan, and because CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) plays for that team, I felt emotional. I wanted to do it (pay my tribute) in the last match itself.'
India pacer Mohamemd Siraj has said he felt really emotional on hearing the news about Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota's death in a car accident, and paid tribute to the late Portuguese footballer after taking the wicket of Jaime Smith on day 2 of the third Test against England at Lord's on Friday.
Siraj, said he wanted to pay his respect in the last Test itself, which India won by 336 runs to level the series.
"We got to know during the last match (in Birmingham) that Diogo Jota has died in an accident," Siraj said in a video posted by BCCI.
"Because I am a Portugal fan, and because CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) plays for that team, I felt emotional. I wanted to do it (pay my tribute) in the last match itself."
"I had spoken with Kuldeep (Yadav) that I want to make a gesture for Diogo Jota. Today (Friday) I have got a wicket so I made the gesture," he added.
Expressing his thoughts on the unpredictability of life, the pacer philosophically said, no one knows what will happen the next moment.
"Life is very unpredictable yaar, apan kis ke liye lad rahe, kis ke liye kar rahe par kal ka hi pata nahi hai, life ka kuch bharosa nahi hai. (Life is very unpredictable, dear friend. Who are we fighting for, who are we doing it for but we don't know what will happen tomorrow. There is nothing certain in life).
"I was shocked on how such a thing can happen, that too in a car accident. (Since) I got a wicket, so I thought as a gesture to Diogo Jota, Jersey No. 20, and this was the reason behind it," Siraj added.