India marched into the ICC Champions Trophy final, thanks to a masterful innings by Virat Kohli, who guided the team with a composed 84-run knock in their chase of 265 against Australia on Tuesday. After a shaky start at 43/2, Kohli’s partnership with Shreyas Iyer (45) steadied the innings and paved the way for a comfortable victory.

Kohli’s Match-Winning Performance

Kohli played a calculated innings, looking for strike rotation and partnerships more than big shots. He was short of a century, caught at long-on while trying to hit a six, but his effort was important in making India's chase smooth.

In the post-match press conference, Kohli was pleased with his strategy: "I think my timing and composure at the crease were key. I wasn't desperate; I was happy knocking ones around. When you take pride in hitting those singles into the gaps, you know you're playing well. That's what helped me settle the nerves and move towards the target."

Virat Kohli said - "Milestones all of that don't matter to me anymore. It's just about stepping out and hopefully doing the job for my team and winning matches for my team. That's most important to me". pic.twitter.com/1znhpeHi04

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) March 4, 2025

Playing According to Conditions

Kohli underlined the need to adjust according to conditions, much like he had done in the last match against Pakistan.

"It was just like the Pakistan game. I had scored only 7 boundaries on the way to 100. It's a matter of understanding the conditions and playing according to that. Rotating the strike is important, particularly on this wicket, and my try was to string enough partnerships together," he elucidated.

ALSO SEE:  Watch: Semi-final hero Virat Kohli excitedly celebrating victory with team

Eye on Team's Success Over Individual Milestones

When quizzed about missing a century, Kohli brushed it aside, highlighting team success over individual success.

"Whether I score a hundred or not, the most important thing is that the team wins. If we go back to a happy dressing room, that's all that matters. I have never played for milestones; I take pride in finishing games for my team," he said.

Key to Chasing Successfully

Kohli also revealed some tactics of his while pursuing a target, emphasizing partnerships and remaining calm under pressure.

In big matches like semis and finals, the most important thing is managing pressure. When you have wickets in hand, the pressure begins to mount on the other team. As long as we have six or seven wickets remaining, even requiring six runs an over is not a big issue. Two settled batsmen can turn the match," he further said.

With this victory, India now looks ahead to the final, expecting another brilliant show by Kohli and the team as they pursue ICC honors.