ICC Champions Trophy 2025: India’s second major championship in less than a year has been made possible by lessons acquired from difficult losses in previous ICC knockout matches, according to superstar Virat Kohli.

India raised the Champions Trophy for the third time on Sunday after winning the T20 World Cup in June of last year.

“We haven’t had a Champions Trophy in a very long time, and the structure is excellent. This was our goal. We came here and won a major event after a difficult tour of Australia, which has once again increased our confidence as a team,” Kohli said to the local broadcaster.

“Various players performed well in various matches throughout the event. In previous tournaments, there were times when we failed to complete games or take advantage of pivotal opportunities. However, we gained knowledge from those experiences this time.

India defeated New Zealand in the final thanks to the final-day expertise of Rohit and K L Rahul.

“That’s why you back experienced players—they have faced these moments before, and when you apply those learnings and work hard, you get a chance to turn things around,” Kohli said.

“KL (Rahul)’s performance in the previous two games is evidence of that experience. The urge to obtain another chance and go over it is always there when you’ve been in such circumstances previously and were unable to cross the line. And we accomplished just that.

India was the combination’s best team by a wide margin. They selected up to five spinners, which helped them on Dubai’s sluggish wickets. India had four spin options in the playing eleven.

“Throughout the competition, we emphasized the importance of concentrating on our abilities rather than the opponents’. You play the game for these major events, despite all the difficulties.

“Winning four ICC titles is truly a blessing, and I consider myself very lucky to have played for so long and achieved this,” added Kohli, who was also a member of the winning team for the 2013 Champions Trophy and the 2011 ODI World Cup.