South Africa will take on New Zealand in the first semifinal of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens in Kolkata today. The match will begin at 7:00 p.m.
South Africa captain Aiden Markram said his team’s win over New Zealand in the group phase will count for nothing in the T20 World Cup semifinal, which will be a “completely fresh start”.
The two teams clash at Eden Gardens in the semifinal, with both having never lifted a cricket World Cup in either the 20-over or 50-over formats.
South Africa are the only unbeaten side in the last four, and are trying to rid themselves of a reputation for choking in the final stages at World Cups.
They have been the team to beat in this edition and got the better of New Zealand by seven wickets in a group game in Ahmedabad on February 15.
“We had a good run against them in the group stages, but both teams have played a lot of cricket since then,” Markram told reporters on Tuesday.
“It’s a completely fresh start [on Wednesday] and it being a semifinal, which is exciting as well.
“I don’t think it’s as straightforward as just being able to repeat that. We’ll try to bring our best game to the front again.”
South Africa suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against India in Barbados, when they needed 30 off 30 balls with six wickets and lost by seven runs after a clatter of wickets.
The Proteas beat India and the West Indies in the Super Eight to have many marking them down as the favourites to lift the trophy.
“With regards to being favourites or not, that’s all different people’s opinions,” said Markram.
Underdogs New Zealand, meanwhile, back themselves against anyone in “one-off games”, according to captain Mitchell Santner.
Santner admitted that Markram’s unbeaten South Africa were “very good”.
New Zealand have lost twice at this edition, also falling to England in the Super Eight, and squeaked into the semifinals on net run-rate ahead of Pakistan.
“Whether you want to call us the underdogs or not, I think for us it is everyone’s goal throughout the tournament to get to this stage,” Santner told reporters at Eden Gardens.
“We are here now, and we back ourselves on one-off games against most teams, being able to adapt as quick as we can to what’s in front of us.
“South Africa look like a very good outfit as they have shown.
“I guess they are in the same boat as us now, it is one game, and you are into the final,” said the left-arm spinner.
New Zealand will be playing their fourth semi-final in the last five T20 World Cups. They reached the final in 2021 but lost to Australia.
Meanwhile, India will face England in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai tomorrow. The winners of both these matches will face each other in the finals on the March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
- Agencies
