Virat Kohli shares a warm hug with Gautam Gambhir after India beat New Zealand in 2025 Champions Trophy final [Watch]

Virat Kohli shared a warm hug with Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir following the Men in Blue’s four-wicket win over New Zealand. As a result, they won the 2025 Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday, March 9. The reaction came after Ravindra Jadeja smashed a match-winning boundary in the penultimate over of India’s 252-run chase. He was also seen sharing a hug with the other support staff.

Notably, Kohli won his fourth ICC title as a player, having won the 2011 ODI World Cup, the 2013 Champions Trophy, and the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Watch the video below:

On the batting front, Kohli failed to make an impact, departing for just one run off two balls, trapped lbw by Kiwi skipper Mitchell Santner. The 36-year-old, however, played crucial 100* and 84 against Pakistan and Australia (semifinal), respectively.

Meanwhile, Gambhir completed a redemption after losing the ODI series in Sri Lanka and the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. He recently guided India to a clean sweep over England in the 50-over series as well.

Notably, this was India’s third Champions Trophy glory after 2002 (joint winners with Sri Lanka) and 2013.

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“We wanted to bounce back after a tough Australia tour” – Virat Kohli on India’s 2025 Champions Trophy win

Virat Kohli revealed that Team India was keen to bounce back after losing the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Following the 2025 Champions Trophy win, Kohli told JioHotstar (via ESPNcricinfo):

“It's been amazing, we wanted to bounce back after a tough Australia tour. Lovely playing with a bunch of amazing youngsters. They're stepping up and taking India in the right direction. After playing for so long, you look forward to playing under pressure. To win titles, the whole team has to step up in different games. People have played such impactful knocks and had spells, that collective effort is what has done it for us.”

Kohli also lauded the bunch of younger players while sharing his conversations with the budding talents. He said:

“I try to speak to these guys, try to share my experience, tell them how I've played for so long. When you leave, you want to leave in a better position. So many impactful knocks Gill, Shreyas, Rahul, et al have played. The team is in good hands.”

Kohli also lauded the Kiwis for taking the match till the 49th over and expressed his disappointment for Kane Williamson, saying:

“We've always been in awe of what NZ can do with a limited number of players. They come in with a set plan. Every fielder knows where the bowler will bowl. They have immense belief in their skills and best fielding side. Huge shoutout to them.”

“Sad to see a very good friend (Kane Williamson) on the losing side, only love between us,” he added.

Click here to check out the full IND vs NZ 2025 Champions Trophy final scorecard.