WHO: South Africa vs New Zealand
What: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Semi-Finals
When: Wednesday, March 4 at 7pm (13:30 GMT)
Where: Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India
How to follow: Al Jazeera’s live coverage begins at 10:00 GMT.
Faced with a knockout challenge, South Africa’s red-hot form and mental fortitude will be put to the test when they take on a threatening New Zealand side in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup on Wednesday.
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Unbeaten in the tournament, Aiden Markram’s side will look to bury the ghost of previous failed attempts to win the knockout matches and lift the men’s World Cup trophy.
In their way is Mitchell Santner’s all-round XI with explosive batsmen, ferocious fast bowlers and the most eye-catching fielding line-up of the tournament.
Known as the home of cricket in India, the famous Eden Gardens will host a clash between two teams from the southern hemisphere.
What are South Africa’s strengths and weaknesses?
Batting
South Africa boast a power-packed batting lineup, led by Markram at the top. The skipper has scored 268 runs in seven matches while Ryan Rickelton has scored 228 runs.
David Miller’s heroics in the middle order have seen the team navigate through trouble, but Quinton de Kock often provides a blistering start as the opener.
Devald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs and their fast bowlers are all capable of clearing boundaries down the order.
Bowling
Quick bowler Lungi Ngidi took 12 wickets and flashed some of the best with his deceptively slow off-cutter while squeezing runs.
Keshav Maharaj can tie up batsmen with his left-arm spin but also take important wickets as he did against India.
Nightmares of past failures
On the field, South Africa are the stronger side, but they carry the scars of previous failed attempts at lifting the trophy.
The Proteas have notoriously failed at the last hurdle, be it the latest, the 50-over World Cup semi-final fiasco by Barbados in 2024 or 2023.
What are New Zealand’s strengths and weaknesses?
An all-round talent
New Zealand really are the sum of all their parts, and many of those parts are important cogs in the all-round machine.
From captain and key spinner Mitchell Santner to batting all-rounders Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra, they thrive on the talents of their multi-skilled teammates.
Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy offer plenty of pace options but Ish Sodhi’s leg spin will help keep things tight.
Fielding
The Blackcaps are arguably the best fielding team in the tournament, and their acrobatic efforts reel in the highlights of the match. Phillips has a reputation for pulling off the most difficult catches.
Lower order slip-ups
Despite packing all-rounders in their XI, New Zealand failed to finish their innings with much flourish on a few occasions. They are the only team in the last four to lose two matches in the tournament.
How has South Africa performed in the T20 World Cup?
South Africa opened their tournament with a 57-run win over Canada, but needed two super overs to seal victory against Afghanistan in their second game.
Next, they defeated their semi-final opponents New Zealand in a seven-wicket win, before completing the group with a six-wicket victory over the UAE.
Markram’s side stunned defending champions India in the world’s biggest cricket stadium by handing them a 76-run defeat in Ahmedabad. They then went on to record a stunning nine-wicket win over the West Indies, ending their Super Eight run by handing Zimbabwe a five-wicket defeat.
How has New Zealand performed in the T20 World Cup?
New Zealand started their campaign with a comfortable five-wicket win over Afghanistan, who failed to contain the Kiwis’ batting prowess. Their second match saw a Finn Allen and Tim Seifert performance as they beat the United Arab Emirates by 10 wickets in a 175-run chase.
Santner’s team failed to stop the Proteas in their chase of 176, handing South Africa their first defeat and losing by seven wickets. They rounded off their group stage with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Canada.
Their first Super Eight match against Pakistan ended in a washout. In the second, against co-hosts Sri Lanka, New Zealand secured a crucial two points and a healthy net run rate to stay on course for the semis.
England made a late comeback to beat New Zealand in their final Super Eight match, but Pakistan’s failure to hand Sri Lanka a big defeat sealed the Blackcaps’ path to the knockouts.
What is South Africa’s best result in T20 World Cup?
Runner-up: 2024
What is New Zealand’s best result in T20 World Cup?
Runners-up: 2021
Farm Guide: South Africa
The Proteas are the team to beat in the tournament, winning all their matches. Their last loss in T20 matches was a bilateral series win (2-1) against the West Indies in January.
Last five matches (latest result first): WWWWW
Farm Guide: New Zealand
New Zealand’s form has been mixed in both stages of the World Cup with back-to-back wins followed by defeats. Before the tournament, they had lost the series against India by 4-1.
Last five matches (latest result first): LW NR WW
South Africa vs New Zealand: Head-to-head
South Africa have won 12 out of 19 encounters in their T20 meetings with New Zealand. New Zealand won the remaining seven.
Team News: South Africa
The Proteas tinkered with their playing XI in the last Super Eight match against Zimbabwe, resting fast bowlers Marco Janssen and Kagiso Rabada. Both should return to the team for the knockout game.
Predicted XI: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wicket keeper), Ryan Rickleton, Devald Brewis, David Miller, Devald Brewis, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Janssen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
Team news: New Zealand
The Blackcaps are likely to make one change to the XI that lost their last Super Eight match against England. Jacob Duffy could return to the team in place of Cole McConchie.
Expected XI: Tim Seifert (wicket keeper), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (captain), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy
How can I follow and stream the South Africa vs New Zealand semi-final?
Al Jazeera Sport will provide comprehensive live coverage of the knockout match. Our build-up begins at 10:00 GMT, followed by photo coverage and a stream of text commentary.
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