Kohli played a match-winning knock of 84 in India's Champions Trophy semi-final win over Australia.
Chasing 265 to win, Men in Blue lost Shubman Gill (8) cheaply while captain Rohit Sharma (28) failed to convert his start into a significant score. However, Kohli once stepped up in a pressure run chase.
He added 91 runs for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer. Adam Zampa broke the partnership by removing Iyer for 45, but Kohli held the one end firmly.
The star batter stitched 44 runs for the fourth wicket with Axar Patel (27) and followed it with another crucial 47-run stand with KL Rahul to put India on the verge of victory.
While Kohli got out in the 43rd over after scoring 84 off 98 balls, Hardik Pandya’s blazing cameo (28 off 24 balls) and Rahul’s unbeaten 42* off 34 balls ensured India got over the line with 11 deliveries to spare.
After the game, Kohli said that he has been able to keep scoring runs and guiding the team to victory, only because he loves playing cricket and loves batting even more.
"I just love playing the game man. I just love batting. As long as the joy of batting and the love for batting is alive, then all the other things kind of take care of themselves. Do not go into a desperate situation and put your head down. And just keep working towards what the team wants. More often than not, you'll have results like these," Kohli told BCCI.
"For me, now at this stage of my career, it's all about, you know, just getting up for these games, getting excited, coming out here, hopefully doing the job for the team and working as hard as I can, run hard between the wickets and play according to the demands of the situation. So, when all those things come together and comes off, you obviously feel really good. And to get the team across the line, it's a great feeling," he added.
Kohli also acknowledged the contributions of Hardik, Rahul and Shreyas in the successful run chase.
"As a team, you feel great when people keep stepping up through the innings. When it's a team victory, obviously it feels amazing. Hardik hit those two crucial shots at a kind of a nervous point for us. KL batted outstandingly to close the game off. Shreyas had a great partnership with me. For us, it's the all-around effort that counts. People are in a great space. And then you qualify for the finals, you have a couple of days off, so everything to look forward to," he remarked.
India will now face the winner of second semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand in the title clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (March 9).