Dubai [UAE], March 10: After leading India to a remarkable ICC Champions Trophy 2025 victory against New Zealand on Sunday, Virat Kohli shared his thoughts on the team’s performance and the significance of playing as a unit.
India clinched their third Champions Trophy title with a comprehensive win over the Black Caps, and Kohli highlighted the collective effort that helped them secure the trophy. In the final, it was Rohit Sharma who set the tone with a solid start, while Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Mohammed Shami played crucial roles throughout the tournament, leading India to an impressive five-match winning streak.
“I think to win titles, which has been missing in the past, the whole team must step up in different games. If you look at this tournament, over the course of five matches, everyone has put their hand up somewhere or another,” Kohli said after India’s victorious final. “These are the things, after playing for so long, you look forward to. Being in situations where you are put under pressure, and you walk in, and you put your hand up.”
Kohli’s contributions were vital in the group stages, with an unbeaten century against Pakistan and a crucial 84 against Australia that helped India qualify for the final. But the team’s overall depth proved to be their key to success.
Rohit Sharma’s aggressive start with the bat and Shreyas Iyer’s composed 48 runs in the middle overs helped India chase down New Zealand’s target of 251. The game ended with KL Rahul finishing off the job with one over to spare.
Kohli also emphasized the importance of teamwork, saying, “That is why we ended up winning this tournament. People have made such impactful knocks and produced such impactful spells. It is only a collective effort that can win you a title. I am just so happy we were able to play as a unit and really enjoy ourselves.”
One of the standout stories of the tournament was the inclusion of Varun Chakravarthy in the middle of the campaign. He impressed with a brilliant 5/42 against New Zealand in the group stage and played a pivotal role in India’s knockout run, finishing with nine wickets in three matches. Along with Kuldeep Yadav, who picked up two wickets in the final, and Ravindra Jadeja, who kept things tight with 1/30 from 10 overs, the spin attack played a crucial role in India’s victory.
India’s triumph in the Champions Trophy follows their victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, putting them in a strong position as they eye the 2028 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.