Kohli lauds 'brilliant' Williamson

During the post-match presentation, Kohli also spoke of his doubts at times that his side could win the game. When Williamson was dismissed in the final over of New Zealand's chase, they required only two more runs from Mohammad Shami's last three balls.

"I thought at one stage we were gone, and down and out," Kohli said. "Kane batting on 95, he played a brilliant innings and I was just telling our coach they probably deserved to finish the game off the way he batted and led from the front. (I) feel bad for him, these kind of knocks when they don't go through, I know what that feeling is.

"We got a wicket at a crucial stage, Shami again showed his experience and bowled a couple of balls outside off stump and then last ball we had a discussion. We came up with the fact that we have to try and hit the stumps otherwise it's a single anyway and then we lose the game. So he went for it, got the wicket and the game turned on its head."

Shami's last ball wicket of Ross Taylor sent the game to a Super Over, New Zealand's third in a little over six months after the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Final in July last year and the fifth T20I against England in November. Kohli felt his side had the upper hand going in to the play-off though, having come back so late during the main game.

"In the Super Over the discussion was around how New Zealand must be feeling some pressure because they let the game slip away and it was our turn to hit our areas," Kohli said. "But again Kane played couple of brilliant shots against Jasprit [Bumrah] who's probably one of the best death bowlers in the world. Again we were put under pressure, such a see-saw game. You didn't really know what to make of it so you could just do one thing which was to stay calm, observe what's happening and do your best."

Rohit Sharma, who had earlier scored 65, and KL Rahul were charged with chasing down 18 to win in the Super Over after Williamson and Guptill had managed to take three boundaries from Jasprit Bumrah's over. Sharma – despite having to rush to be ready to bat – eventually sealed the win for India with sixes from the final two balls, though he believes the credit belongs elsewhere.

"It literally took me five minutes to find my abdomen guard because I don't know where it was," Rohit said in the post-match press conference. "We never thought it'd go to the Super Over, the way they were batting. At one point it looked like they can easily win the game. But I think that Shami's last over was crucial. That actually got us the victory, not my two sixes. We defended nine runs, it's not easy, with the dew and the wicket settling in nicely, with two set batsmen there as well, one on 95 [Williamson] and the other their most experienced player [Taylor]. So hats off to Shami."