Virat Kohli confident in India's future after Champions Trophy victory

India's batter Virat Kohli is confident that Indian cricket team has a bright future ahead, with a squad ready to take on the world for the next eight years, following their victory in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai.

Kohli, speaking after the game, said, “When you leave, you want to leave the team in a better place. I feel we’ve got a squad that’s ready to take on the world for the next eight years." 

He praised his teammates, highlighting their performances throughout the tournament. 

"Shubman [Gill] has been outstanding, Shreyas [Iyer] has been beautiful, KL [Rahul] has finished games, and Hardik [Pandya] has been superb with the bat,” Kohli added.

Reflecting on the victory, Kohli admitted that it somewhat eased the disappointment of India’s Test series loss in Australia earlier. 

"It’s been amazing. After a tough Australian tour, we wanted to bounce back and win a big tournament. We managed to do that, and it’s an amazing feeling," he said.

During the celebrations, Kohli, who was standing next to Gill, was asked about his thoughts on leaving the Indian dressing room in a better place when he eventually retires. 

He replied, "There’s so much talent in the dressing room. They’re all trying to take their game to the next level, and we [the senior players] are happy to help, sharing our experiences. That’s what makes this Indian team so strong."

Kohli also highlighted the collective effort of the team, saying, "These are the things you want to play for [titles], playing under pressure and putting your hand up. The whole team, everyone has put their hands up sometimes or other during the course of the tournament. 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."

While Kohli was proud of India’s performance, he also had words of admiration for New Zealand. 

"Amazing, we've always been in awe with what they can do with the limited number of players they have had over the years, and just maximise their talent," he said. 

"Every time we played against them in big games, we knew they were going to come with a set plan. No team in world cricket executes plans as well as they do," he further added. 

Kohli praised New Zealand's fielding, calling them "easily the best fielding side in the world." 

He continued, "Every fielder knows where the bowler is going to bowl, you can sense it, they're all attacking the ball, they know the bowler is going to be accurate. Credit to them for being the most consistent team in the last few tournaments. The reason for that is the immense belief in their skills, and the amount of talent they have they utilise that to the maximum."

Despite India’s win, Kohli expressed sympathy for New Zealand and his good friend Kane Williamson, who was on the losing side. 

"It’s sad to see a very good friend like Kane on the losing side, but I’ve been on the losing side a couple of times when he has been on the winning side. There’s only love between us," he concluded.