- By Namrata Vijay
- Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:26 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
IND vs NZ ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Final: India's star batter Virat Kohli took upon the responsibility as a senior player in team India's dressing room when he was enquired to express his feelings after the Rohit Sharma-led side won the ICC Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai. Unlike the way they celebrated in Barbados last year after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, Kohli looked more calm after defeating New Zealand.
During the post-match presentation, Kohli, who had put an arm around Shubman Gill's shoulders, was quite optimistic about the team's future. He emphasized the wealth of the youngsters and reckoned that Indian cricket's future is in good hands after both he and Rohit retire from this sport.
He also assured me that he wouldn't retire anytime soon and that he was satisfied after watching a formidable team carry the legacy of Indian cricket forward.
"For sure. I try to speak to these guys as much as possible and share my experience about my longevity. I try to step in wherever I can to help improve their games. When you want to leave, you want to leave the game in a better position. That's what we are striving for," Virat Kohli told broadcasters during the post-match presentation.
"Then, eventually, when we are finally done at whatever stage, we have a squad that is ready to take on the world and dominate for 8-10 years. These guys have the game to do so. They have stepped up already. We are in good hands," he said.
We wanted to bounce back after Australia: Kohli
The Rohit Sharma-led side had beaten New Zealand by four wickets, on the back of brilliant performances both by batters and bowlers, during the summit clash. Skipper Rohit Sharma led the team from the front as he scored a match-winning knock of 76 runs while chasing a gettable target of 252 runs. Batters like Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya maintained their composure when the chase got intense towards the fag end of the innings.
During the first innings, spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav starred with the ball as they took four wickets and rattled New Zealand's batting lineup.
Kohli admitted that they wanted to win the title after a woeful time during the Border-Gavaskar rophy series.
"It's been amazing. We wanted to bounce back after a tough Australian tour. We wanted to win a big tournament. We did that, so it's amazing. Lovely playing with a bunch of such amazing youngsters. So much talent in the dressing room. They are taking Indian cricket forward in the right direction. We are trying to chip in, but they are making a mark," he concluded.
Virat Kohli didn't have a great outing with the bat during the summit clash but he was the star batter throughout the mega-event. He had scored 218 runs after playing in five matches and was one of the top five run-getters.
