Bangalore: When a football commentator screamed "Ronaldooooooo" amid a volley of Malayalam words on Friday night, he proved that like music and cinema, sport knows no language barriers.

Kochi-based commentator Shaiju Damodaran's verbal detonation after Cristiano Ronaldo's 87th-minute- free-kick goal against Spain, which gave Portugal a 3-3 draw in their World Cup game, has gone viral even among people who understood not half of what he was saying.

Among them was Mahindra Group executive chairman and former football boss Anand Mahindra, who declared he would switch to the Malayalam broadcast of the World Cup.

"Ok that's it. I'm switching to this channel with commentary in Malayalam," he tweeted on Saturday night, referring to the coverage by Damodaran and K. Bineesh for an ESPN Malayalam channel.

"No, I don't understand the language but I don't need to - these guys are so pumped up they make the English & Hindi commentators sound tame!"

A football fan from Calcutta tweeted: "People are loving it without understanding a word. Receiving it multiple times. Is it Malayalam?"

Here's a translation of what has floored the fans:

"Sochi (the Russian venue) with bated breath. Portugal trailing 2-3. Ronaldo takes the free kick... Cristiano Ronaldo. (Ronaldo scores with a curler) Ronaldooooooo.... ooooooo.... ooooo. You watch this... why this man is called a genius on this planet," Damodaran screamed.

"This goal shows why this dear son of Portugal deserves to be called a genius. ( Switches to English) Cristiano Ronaldo is over the moon. Portugal is 3-3. Goodness! What a goal! Cristiano Ronnnaldo...."

Damodaran wasn't done yet. After a brief comment by Bineesh, the still animated Damodaran decided to borrow a few Tamil lines from Rajinikanth's blockbuster Kabali.

" Naan vandittennu sollu... thirumbi vandittennu sollu... Rono vendittenu sollu... Ronaldo da, Cristiano Ronaldo (Tell them I'm back; tell them Rono is back)," he screamed.

Both Damodaran and Bineesh thanked Mahindra, whose iLeague club Mahindra United FC wound up after the 2009-10 season, for his praise.

Damodaran was already in the commentary box for Sunday evening's Costa Rica-Serbia game when The Telegraph contacted him.

"No words to say thanks to Mr Anand Mahindra Sir for the tweet. It's a big recognition for our language in the sports world," he said in a WhatsApp message since he was not in a position to take phone calls.

Damodaran, a former sports reporter, had forayed into TV commentary only around six years ago with the Celebrity Cricket League, a fun event involving film stars, in Kochi.

He quickly drew attention with his energetic commentary and when the Kerala-based Asianet TV won the rights to broadcast the inaugural Indian Super League in 2013, he was the first choice.

"I don't think it's anything extraordinary," Damodaran said about his high-octane style.

"I just love to talk, talk, talk and talk, which is what I'm doing in the commentary box.... I want to carry on doing what I do. I've completed four ISL seasons and 222 matches, the most among all ISL commentators."

Bineesh, 40, who was part of two Santosh Trophy-winning Kerala sides, started commentating two years ago with the ISL and did all the Malayalam commentary for Euro 2016.

"Such comments are always motivating and help us do better," he said about Mahindra's tweet.

Damodaran said he idolised English professional footballer turned commentator Ray Hudson who is famous - or notorious, for some - for his over-the-top analogies reminiscent of cricket commentator Navjot Sidhu.

"Of course, Ray Hudson is my hero," he said.

If Damodaran ever needs to borrow Rajinikanth-esque analogies in English, he might have to look no further than his guru, who said of Lionel Messi: "Defenders try to follow him on Facebook and he comes out on Twitter...."