When India won the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval after a rather dramatic six-run win, The official Instagram handle of the Indian cricket team mistakenly tagged a fake Mohammed Siraj handle in the celebratory post.
It was supposed to honour Siraj and his heroic match-winning nine-wicket match haul, which got him the Player of the Match award but instead, it led to a similarly named account that had only 491 followers and a bio about the user that described him or her as a musician.
The social media crew quickly corrected the mistake and tagged the pacer’s correct handle, @mohammedsirajofficial, which has over 12 million followers. Meanwhile, admirers noticed the blunder, and some even visited the incorrectly labeled profile, writing congratulatory messages for the musician-turned-accidental cricket celebrity for the day.
🚨Indian cricket team account with 37 million insta followers tagged fake account of mohammed siraj on player of the match post🚨 pic.twitter.com/L1V5o6gw2i
— Sawai96 (@Aspirant_9457) August 5, 2025The caption for the Indian team’s special, which was later modified, read. Mohd. Siraj was named Player of the Match in the 5th Test for his consistent bowling performance and nine wickets. 👏👏 #TeamIndia | #ENGVIND | @MohammedSirajofficial.”
Mohammed Siraj’s Brilliance Seals Thrilling Victory for India
Despite the technical error, everyone was positive to the performance of Siraj. India had a chance to win on the last morning of the Oval Test against England with the match poised at 35 runs needed off 4 wickets remaining; Siraj bowled superbly to present a chance to India, and at that point, a win did not seem possible. He bowled deadly yorkers to get Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, and finally Gus Atkinson out, helping India win by their smallest-ever margin in Test history. This also became Siraj’s sixth five-wicket haul in Tests.
Mohammed Siraj puts up Ronaldo wallpaper on his phone
The fifth Test did not only assist India in the series tie 2-2, but also indicated the extent to which Siraj has developed as an important bowler in the national team. The previous day, he had already suffered a huge error of stepping on the boundary and awarded Harry Brook six runs. However he made an impressive comeback with a five wicket haul, to prove that India defends 374 runs to give an exciting finish.
Siraj later commented on the match that he had his phone wallpaper with a photo of Cristiano Ronaldo saying BELIEVE before the final day to make himself motivated. Siraj was a huge Ronaldo fan, but he is the series leader as far as wickets are concerned, with 23.
