Cricket
'India, not RCB': Mohammed Siraj's gesture to crowd wins hearts: Watch
A section of the crowd were chanting 'RCB' before Siraj looked at them and pointed to the India logo on his jersey.
Mohammed Siraj of India gestures to the crowd (Getty)
Mohammed Siraj has won hearts by gesturing to the crowd to stop cheering for his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and to cheer for India instead.
A video shot from the stands in Mumbai after India's 2nd Test vs New Zealand shows Siraj reacting to the crowd's chants during the post-match presentation ceremony. A section of the crowd is heard breaking into 'RCB' chants before Siraj looks at them and points to the insignia on his India jersey. The crowd then takes the cue to change their chant to cry out the national team's name instead.
Siraj, who had first joined RCB in 2018, is one of the three players retained by the Bangalore-based franchise before the IPL 2022 mega auction.
Team India registered a comprehensive 372-run win against New Zealand in the 2nd Test match earlier this week. Siraj played a key role in the match, pushing the Kiwis on to the backfoot early in the first innings with three big scalps of Tom Latham, Will Young and Ross Taylor.
Siraj has been one of the most well-loved Indian cricketers over the last year with his consistent performances.
One of the most common crowd chants during India's recent matches:
The win in the Mumbai Test match saw India returning to the top spot in the ICC Test rankings. After conquering New Zealand, India will now set off for South Africa for three Tests and as many ODIs.
