With speculation surrounding his future, Virat Kohli indicated that he plans to continue playing after India clinched a record third ICC Champions Trophy title, defeating New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
“It’s been amazing, we wanted to bounce back after a tough Australian tour, and wanted to win a big tournament, so to win the Champions Trophy is amazing. So much talent in the dressing room, they’re trying to take their game further and we’re just happy to be of help. Sharing our experience and that’s what makes this Indian team so strong,” Kohli said.
Kohli had an outstanding tournament, finishing as the fifth-highest run-scorer with 218 runs in five innings, including a century against Pakistan and a crucial fifty in the semi-final against Australia.
He also expressed confidence in the team’s ability to dominate world cricket for years to come.
“Everyone has put up impactful performances, we’ve been part of an amazing team, the amount of work we’ve done in the practice sessions, it feels great (to win). When you leave, you want to leave the team in a better place, I feel we’ve a squad that’s ready to take on the world for the next 8 years,” Kohli added.
In the final, skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front with a match-winning half-century, guiding India to their historic victory. India’s spinners played a pivotal role, restricting New Zealand to 251/7 in 50 overs. Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) delivered key breakthroughs, keeping the Blackcaps under pressure.
Chasing 252, India held their nerve, completing the target with six balls to spare. Rohit’s 76 off 83 balls and Shreyas Iyer’s 48 off 62 balls were instrumental in securing the win.
Champions