Indian cricket star Virat Kohli posted a long, warm hug with his wife, actress Anushka Sharma, at the Dubai International Stadium after the Men in Blue won their nail-biting ICC Champions Trophy title in four-wicket style against New Zealand on Sunday.
The couple shared a short but intimate moment on the stairs of the stadium before walking onto the field to celebrate India's third Champions Trophy victory. A video of their emotional moment went viral on social media soon, with fans showering them with love and admiration.
Anushka has remained a constant cheerleader during India's campaign for the tournament. During the games, Kohli and Anushka were repeatedly seen exchanging flying kisses and gestures of affection, displaying their unconditional connection.
This was India's fourth straight ICC final in less than two years, as Rohit Sharma's team won consecutive ICC titles, after their T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados last year. With this latest success, Kohli and Rohit both have four ICC titles each, behind only MS Dhoni great skipper when it comes to major tournament successes.
Rohit Sharma's 76-run innings laid the platform for India's pursuit of 252. Shreyas Iyer added 48, and K.L. Rahul's 34* helped India win with an over to spare. Axar Patel (29) and Hardik Pandya (18) also chipped in with their cameo knocks to seal the win in a high-pressure game.
Looking back on the victory, Kohli was optimistic about India's team and its future.
"It's been terrific. We needed to bounce back from a difficult Australian tour and win a big tournament, so to lift the Champions Trophy is amazing. There is so much talent in the dressing room, and the whole group is working towards upping their game. As seniors, we are delighted to give our experience, which makes this Indian team strong," Kohli stated after the match.
"These are the times you play for—playing under pressure and rising to the occasion when it counts. All the players have given big performances at some point in this tournament. All the hard work in training sessions has been rewarded, and it is great to win.".
"When you depart, you want to leave the side in a better position. I feel we have a team that can dominate world cricket for the next eight years. Shubman has been incredible, Shreyas has played some masterful innings, KL has been a good finisher, and Hardik has been outstanding with the bat," he further added.
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