Key events
Simon Burnton
“I wish cricket was that easy,” said Aiden Markram, the South Africa captain and the highest-scoring batter remaining in the competition. “Both teams have played a lot of cricket since [SA beat New Zealand in the group stage] and it’s a completely fresh start. I don’t think it’s as straightforward as being able to repeat that again. With regards to us being favourites or not, that’s all different people’s opinions.”
Mitchell Santner insisted the teams reconvene as equals. “Whether you want to call us underdogs or not, for us it was everyone’s goal throughout the tournament to get to this stage. We’re here now, and we back ourselves in one-off games against most teams,” he said. “South Africa look a very good outfit but they’re in the same boat as us now – it’s one game and you’re into a final.”
Preamble
How can you mend a broken heart? South Africa and New Zealand hope to find out in the next few days. These are the heartbreak kids of men’s white-ball cricket: they’ve never won a World Cup, and between them they have lost four finals and 17 semi-finals.
It’ll be 18 after today’s game, but the winners will have to chance to find the Holy Grail in Ahmedabad on Sunday. South Africa have been the best team in the tournament; no ifs, no buts, no sneery ch- words. They thrashed India in the Super Eights and have won all seven games, even if they needed two Super Overs to beat Afghanistan.
New Zealand were beaten by South Africa in the first group stage and needed help from Sri Lanka to qualify for the semi-final ahead of Pakistan. They haven’t lit up the tournament but they’re in the last four, as per, and only a complete eejit would take them for granted.
In fact, New Zealand will arguably be the favourites if they win the toss. It’s often a big factor in Kolkata, where the dew makes it preferable to bat last. We’ll soon find out who has that advantage.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/mar/04/south-africa-v-new-zealand-t20-world-cup-cricket-semi-final-live
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