Mohammed Siraj played a pivotal role in India's thrilling six-run victory over England in the fifth and final Test at The Oval, which leveled the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 series at 2-2. Following the exhilarating win, Siraj shared his phone wallpaper with his hero football player Cristiano Ronaldo and a strong one-word word. — "Believe." That word, he said, had driven him throughout the match.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Siraj was asked about his emotions after taking the final wicket. In his trademark Hyderabadi humor, he said, “Actually, DK bhai (Dinesh Karthik) started asking questions in English, so at that point all emotions went away," prompting laughter from everyone present. He then shared how Ravindra Jadeja’s words had emotionally charged him to push harder during the final day’s grind. “Jaddu bhai ne bola, ki apne father ke barein mein soch aur kitna takleef unhone uthaya aur tujhe unke liye yeh karna (win) hai,” Siraj recounted, speaking about his late father.

With Jasprit Bumrah missing from the lineup, Siraj emerged as India’s pace spearhead, bowling a total of 185.3 overs in the series and claiming 23 wickets. His match haul of 9 wickets at The Oval, including 5 for 104 in the final innings, proved vital in India's series-saving win. “Body is fine… I don’t care if it’s the sixth over or the ninth over for me. I don’t bowl for myself; it is for my country," he declared.

'Believe' was his mantra, Bumrah or not

Siraj revealed that he began his day with a powerful ritual. “I woke up in the morning, checked Google on my phone, took out a ‘Believe’ emoji wallpaper, and told myself that I will do it for the country." That single word, inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo, echoed in his mind throughout the day’s toil.

SIRAJ SHOWING THE WALL-PAPER ON PHONE - CR 7, RONALDO...!!! 💥 pic.twitter.com/paClFlFHxT

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 4, 2025

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In his post-match conversation with Dinesh Karthik on Jio Hotstar, Siraj reflected on his never-say-die mindset. “I always believe that I can win the game from any point, and this morning was no different.” Despite the pressure, Siraj stuck to his basics. “My only plan was to bowl in good areas. Didn’t matter if I took wickets or went for runs,” he added, having etched his name in India’s red-ball legacy.

It is well known that India’s pace bowler Mohammed Siraj is a big fan of football star Cristiano Ronaldo. He is one of the few bowlers who copies the Portuguese legend’s ‘Siuu’ celebration after taking a wicket.

On Monday, soon after winning the player-of-the-match award in India’s 6-run victory over England in the fifth Test at The Oval, Siraj shared how he got inspiration from Ronaldo before going onto the field.

The Indian pacer showed his phone wallpaper after playing a key role in India’s 6-run win over England in the fifth and final Test at The Oval. The victory helped India level the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series 2-2 on Monday. The wallpaper featured Cristiano Ronaldo and one word that became his motivation — ‘Believe’.

Also Read -Top three positives for India from the historic England Test tour

Siraj Finds Inspiration in Ronaldo

"Usually I get up at 8 am, but today I woke up at 6. Then I kept thinking, so I went on Google, found this image, and made it my wallpaper," Siraj said, showing his phone with a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating a goal and the word ‘Believe’ written across it.

"I knew I could do it," Siraj said about his five-wicket haul, which included three wickets in one hour on the final day to turn the match in India’s favour. "I always say, be honest in your game and believe you can do it. Belief is very important for a professional player, nothing is possible without it."

When he was pushing himself with an 80-over-old Dukes ball, troubling the English batters, Ravindra Jadeja gave him some emotional motivation. "Jaddu bhai said, think about your late father and the hardships he faced. Win this for him," Siraj recalled at the presentation.

SIRAJ SHOWING THE WALL-PAPER ON PHONE - CR 7, RONALDO...!!! 💥 pic.twitter.com/paClFlFHxT

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 4, 2025

A Match-Winning Performance

After bowling 185.3 overs and taking 23 wickets in the series — often without Jasprit Bumrah by his side — Siraj has built his own legacy. "My body is fine… I don’t care if it’s my sixth over or my ninth. I don’t bowl for myself, I bowl for my country," he said. "I have worked hard with good intentions and never wish bad for anyone. When you are one of 11 players selected from 1.4 billion people, it’s a big thing. I always think about how I can perform my best for my country."

Siraj finished with figures of 5 for 104 in 30.1 overs and a match haul of nine wickets, consistently troubling the English batters throughout the game.

The conversation with current Indian ball twirler Kuldeep Yadav sparked a little excitement in the hearts of the fans as he compared the legendary footballers of all times to some of India's top-end cricketers. This comparison shows the common skills, mindset, and play style of both sports, and the crossover is an effective one.

Virat Kohli as Cristiano Ronaldo & Rohit Sharma as Steven Gerrard:

According to Kuldeep Yadav, Virat is a reflection of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is also known for his hard work, how he has led the team, and his ability to perform during the most tense parts of the game. On the other hand, Kuldeep drew a parallel between Rohit Sharma and Steven Gerrard, saying that they are both level-headed players, very tactful, and win games often.

Also Read:-Mohammad Siraj gets emotional after joining Gujarat Titans

MS Dhoni as Paul Scholes & Jasprit Bumrah as Zlatan Ibrahimovic:

MS Dhoni, who is a legend in his own right, was compared to Paul Scholes, as both of them were known for their intelligent and composed playing abilities as well as the control of the game. Jasprit Bumrah was his equal among Indian players because he was likened to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was unpredictable and had a style that was both unconventional and highly dominant.

Kuldeep Yadav compares Indian cricketers to football legends! ⚽🏏🔥

Kohli – Ronaldo | Rohit – Gerrard | Dhoni – Scholes
Bumrah – Zlatan | Pant – Salah | Hardik – Rooney
KL Rahul – Van Dijk | Yashasvi Jaiswal – Foden | Kuldeep – B. Silva

Agree with his picks? 🤔🔥#Cricket pic.twitter.com/IkIitrBg9b

— Akaran.A (@Akaran_1) March 25, 2025

Rishabh Pant as Mohamed Salah and Kuldeep Yadav as Bernardo Silva:

Kuldeep Yadav equated Rishabh Pant with Mohamed Salah, as both of them are immensely quick guys who can score in no time and sham opponents as they zigzag around. Similar to Salah's surprise blitzes and his goal-getter skills, Pant also pours out the same venom in cricket, and his attacking game can be crucial in winning the match.
Yet, Kuldeep Yadav was not only like Bernardo Silva but wider as well, which made everyone notice his excellent control, inventiveness, and skillful playing that led to outmaneuvering his competitors. The considerable dexterous play of Silva in football and his game sense very well reflect Kuldeep’s gripping his wrist-spin moves and tactical way of bowling, which usually perplexes hitters.

Also Read:-RR vs KKR – Weather & Pitch report

KL Rahul as Virgil van Dijk & Hardik Pandya as Wayne Rooney:

Kuldeep was amazed at how alike KL Rahul and Virgil van Dijk are while considering some of their special qualities like their coolness, dependability, and their capability to hold the middle order. As a rock-solid defense player, Van Dijk glues the team's batting order by batting in different formats, while Rahul challenges the pressure with ease, thereby giving their side stability.
Elsewhere, Hardik Pandya was likened to Wayne Rooney, which means he is bravely aggressive, omnipotent, and has the winner-takes-all mentality. Parallel to Pens' Rooney, Pandya gets to up his game when there's a do-or-die moment, using his abilities to the maximum the game over, be it striking or breaking the crucial wicket.

INDIAN PLAYERS WHAT THEY WOULD BE LIKE IF THEY WERE FOOTBALLERS - KULDEEP YADAV! 🌟

Virat Kohli - Ronaldo
Rohit Sharma - Gerrard
MS Dhoni - Paul Scholes
Bumrah - Zlatan
Rishabh Pant - M Salah
Kuldeep Yadav - B Silva
KL Rahul - Van Dijk
Hardik Pandya - Rooney
Yashasvi - Foden pic.twitter.com/4G4ayw0vCn

— Being Human (@BhttDNSH100) March 25, 2025

Yashasvi Jaiswal as Phil Foden:

Kuldeep was of the opinion that Yashasvi Jaiswal was like the very young Phil Foden because both of them were young, had immense talent, and were able to win matches by their own performances.  Similar to Foden, who possesses the power of technique and instinct in attacking, Jaiswal is one of the strongest cricket talents of India, which we have found recently; he can play fearlessly and switch smoothly from T20's to the other formats.

Kuldeep’s comparisons have sparked engaging discussions among fans, drawing exciting parallels between cricket and football while showcasing the unique strengths of these players in their respective sports.

The India vs New Zealand Group A match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was a special game for the former Indian captain Virat Kohli. During the second innings of the match, Kohli brought a popular celebration of the legendary Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. 

It was the 300th ODI match for Kohli as he became the seventh Indian cricketer to appear in 300 ODIs. However, the last game centurion, Kohli managed to score only 11 runs as Glenn Phillips grabbed a great catch to spoil the former Indian captain's party. India ultimately scored 249/9, thanks to some useful middle-order contributions. 

In reply, New Zealand were never had easy moments as they were bowled out for 205 runs, as India won that fixture by 44 runs. Indian spinners completely dominated with the ball as the Blackcaps had no strong answers.

Also Watch: Anushka Sharma meets with Rohit-Ritika's newborn child

Virat Kohli celebrated like Cristiano Ronaldo

While Indian bowlers were dominating with the ball, Kohli was in great mood on the field. He once had a popular Cristiano Ronaldo celebration for the fans, who enjoyed that. 

VIRAT KOHLI DOING RONALDO CELEBRATION...!!!! 😁🔥 pic.twitter.com/9QwRsiFso7

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 2, 2025

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: India will face Australia in the Semi-final

By winning the match, India will face the latest ODI World Cup champions Australia in the first Semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates will host the match on Tuesday (March 4). Meanwhile, Blackcaps will face South Africa in the second Semi-final of the tournament on Wednesday (March 5) in the batting paradise Lahore. The Final match of the tournament will be played on March 9 (in Dubai if India qualify; otherwise in Lahore).