Kohli doesn't forget Kane Williamson after IND win, sends heartfelt message to injured star
After the match, Kohli felt sorry seeing his friend Williamson on the losing side but added that he, too, had incurred defeat many times against New Zealand in the past.
India star Virat Kohli did not forget his "good friend" Kane Williamson after the team's spectacular win against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final in Dubai as he sent out a heartfelt message to the Black Caps batter, who did not take the field during the second innings of the match on Sunday owing to an injury.
Williamson was a key batter for New Zealand in the final, having carved out a valiant 81 on a difficult Dubai track in their final group game against India earlier in the tournament. But the former captain failed to make an impact in the finale. He was dismissed for just 11 runs off 14 balls after New Zealand elected to bat first in the summit clash, as Kuldeep Yadav took a catch off his own bowling to send the batter back to the dugout. Later, he was ruled out of the remainder of the match due to a quad strain he sustained while batting. Mark Chapman had replaced him on the field.
After the match, Kohli felt sorry seeing his friend Williamson on the losing side but added that he, too, had incurred defeat many times against New Zealand in the past.
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"They've been probably the most consistent team in the last few years in big tournaments. And the reason for that is their immense belief in their skills and the amount of talent they have. They utilize that to the maximum and easily the best fielding side in the world. So yeah, huge shout out to them. They continue to display why they are one of the top teams in the world. And again, a great campaign," Kohli told the broadcasters after the Champions Trophy triumph.
"Sad to see a very good friend of mine (Kane Williamson) on the losing side, but I've been on the losing side a couple of times when he's been on the winning side. So only love between us."
Notably, a Kohli-led side lost to Williamson's New Zealand in the 2019 ODI World Cup semifinal, the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021, and the group stage of the T20 World Cup four years ago in the UAE.
How did Kohli fare in Champions Trophy 2025?
There was a lot of talk about his form in the lead-up to the ICC tournament, having managed just a fifty in the home series against England in February. However, Kohli silenced his critics yet again with an impactful show in the Champions Trophy, scoring 218 runs in five innings at 54.5, the second most among Indian batters after Shreyas Iyer. His tally included a ton against Pakistan and a valiant 84 in the semifinal against Australia.
