The 2026 T20 World Cup semi-finals start with South Africa against New Zealand on Wednesday, when Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad believes there will be “no added pressure” despite their perfect five-match record against New Zealand at the tournament, including a seven-wicket win during the group stage.
Conrad’s side are the only unbeaten team at this edition, seeing off Zimbabwe by five wickets on Sunday and counting captain Aiden Markram – averaging almost 54 runs per match – among their in-form potential game-changers.
“A semi-final is pressure enough,” reasoned Conrad. “Playing a top side, New Zealand, is pressure enough.
“It’s what you do with that pressure and how you shift the pressure. I’m glad we’re favourites because I’ve always felt that, as a South African team, you want to be able to play as a favourite.
“It’s easy being an underdog. The expectation isn’t that great or that much. Now we’ve assumed the [favourites] tag, which we don’t really talk much about.
“If we can continue doing what we’re doing – and [we] need a little bit of luck along the way – hopefully that will give us the result.”
New Zealand’s chances of an upset could hinge on spinners Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra, with Ravindra reaching an economy of 9.78 from seven matches and taking nine wickets.
Lungi Ngidi has 12 wickets for South Africa and Marco Jansen took 4/40 against the Kiwis last time out, while Tim Seifert has 216 runs for New Zealand.
“It’s just a great representation of the work the boys have put in,” New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said of his side’s achievement, calling a semi-final place “a great privilege” and praising South Africa’s “exceptionally good cricket”.
“We’ve had a few days when our cricket wasn’t as good as we want it to be but I think we’ve played some great cricket that’s given us this opportunity to be in the semi-final. I’m proud of each and every one of the boys.”
Having met in Ahmedabad last time out, the teams are about to clash on Kolkata pitch that should be high-scoring.
“That really suits us because it gives us an opportunity to adapt to those conditions pretty quickly, which is something we’ve done well and do well,” said Walter.
“We believe we can beat them. It just takes one bad day for a team that’s been playing well. We need to be ready and play our best cricket.”
South Africa vs New Zealand team news
Walter expects fast bowler Matt Henry to be back for the semi-final, having returned to New Zealand for the birth of his second child.
“We’re first and foremost just hoping that everything goes off smoothly with the birth of his child and that he’s able to celebrate that with his family,” said Walter.
“If everything works out according to plan and stars align, he should be back the day before the semi-finals. We’ve got all contingencies covered if it doesn’t happen like that.”
Should Henry not play, Jacob Duffy is his most likely replacement. Kyle Jamieson is a pace option.
Michael Bracewell has not featured at the tournament because of a left-calf injury, and Lockie Ferguson has also been managing a calf issue but is expected to lead the attack alongside Santner.
David Miller has played a key role for South Africa despite a pre-tournament adductor strain.
Tony de Zorzi (hamstring) and Donovan Ferreira (fractured clavicle) suffered injuries earlier in the tournament and were replaced by Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs.
New Zealand vs South Africa predicted line ups
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram (c), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi
How to watch New Zealand vs South Africa: TV channel, live online stream
New Zealand vs South Africa starts at 13:30 GMT on Wednesday.
The T20 World Cup is live in the UK on Sky Sports. Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a day membership, £28 a month for a 12-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.
For coverage elsewhere in the world, details of your local rights holder are here.
New Zealand vs South Africa: T20 World Cup prediction
South Africa’s irresistible form and superior squad make it unlikely they will justify accusations from their critics that they remain questionable when the stakes are near their highest.
The winners will meet India or England, who face each other in Mumbai on Thursday (13:30 GMT).
