South Africa (SA) are all set to face New Zealand (NZ) in the first semi-final in the 2026 T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Wednesday, March 4.
The Proteas are the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far. They won four games in the group stage and three more in the Super 8. South Africa did suffer a scare in their last game against Zimbabwe but wouldn’t want to read too much into it as they had rested some of their premier players for the inconsequential clash.
On the other hand, Mitchell Santner has led New Zealand commendably. The Kiwis have not fired on all cylinders, having lost matches against South Africa and England. However, they do have what it takes to give the Proteas a run for their money.
New Zealand and South Africa met each other earlier in the tournament. Aiden Markram and Co. won the match in Ahmedabad by seven wickets.
SA vs NZ Match Details
| Match | South Africa vs New Zealand, Semi-final 1, T20 World Cup 2026 |
| Date and Time (IST) | Wednesday, March 04, 07:00 PM |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Broadcast and live-streaming | JioStar Network Channels and JioHotstar (App & Website) |
Eden Gardens, Kolkata: Pitch Report
The iconic venue is expected to offer a balanced surface, where batters will mostly thrive but bowlers would also have something in their favour. While Eden Gardens has hosted several games in the marquee event this year, taking all of them into account won’t be a great idea as all but one of them were games held in the morning or in the afternoon.
The virtual quarter-final between India and the West Indies was the first game held in the evening at Eden Gardens during the ongoing World Cup. The Caribbean side posted 195/4 and India chased it down with five wickets and four balls to spare. Chasing teams have a great record in T20s at Eden Gardens. The captain who wins the toss would opt to bowl first and keep the opposition down below 200.
SA vs NZ Head-to-Head Record in T20Is
| Matches Played | 19 |
| SA Won | 12 |
| NZ Won | 07 |
| Tied / No Results | 0 |
| First-ever Fixture | October 21, 2005 (NZ Won) |
| Last-ever Fixture | February 14, 2026 (SA Won) |
SA vs NZ Predicted Playing XIs
South Africa (SA):
Aiden Markram (C), Quinton de Kock (WK), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
New Zealand (NZ):
Tim Seifert (WK), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (C), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.
SA vs NZ Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter: Aiden Markram
Aiden Markram has led his team from the front in the tournament so far. He is third on the list of leading run-getters in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The right-handed batter has amassed 268 runs in seven innings at an average of 53.60 and a strike rate of 175.17. Markram would want to continue his purple patch when he faced the Kiwis on Wednesday.
Probable Best Bowler: Lungi Ngidi
Lungi Ngidi has been one of the most consistent bowlers in this tournament. He has impressed the cricket fraternity with his clever usage of slower balls. The right-arm seamer has bagged 12 wickets from six games at an average of 13.75. His four-over spell will be crucial and Markram would want to use him tactically.
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