South Africa will take on New Zealand in the first semi-final of the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup on March 4. The South Africa vs New Zealand match will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the venue for the Super 8 match between India and West Indies.

At the pre-match press conference, South Africa captain Aiden Markram said they were closely watching the Indian match to gather some information about the pitch. After monitoring the conditions on the road, he looked very confident and informed that they would decide on the lineup tonight, the night before the race.

Aiden Markram and South Africa watch India vs West Indies match in Kolkata

“Watched the India vs West Indies match closely. Just looked at the pitch and it looks pretty good. Looks like dark soil. We will decide the XI tonight,” Aiden Markram said ahead of the first semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand.

Your daily dose of cricket!

“Watched the Indiana vs. Wisconsin game carefully. Just looked at the pitch and it looks pretty good. Looks like dark soil. We’ll decide on the XI tonight,” Aiden Markram said ahead of South Africa’s first semi-final against New Zealand.#T20World Cup 2026 pic.twitter.com/CLxi0vExaC

— Koushik Biswas (@kbofficial25) March 3, 2026

The veteran batsman also said that the outcome of a match depends on the performance on the field. As captain of the team, he is clear that if they can perform according to their plan and potential, they will be able to perform against rival New Zealand.

The captain further said at a press conference in Kolkata: “As a captain, you want to get the team over the line, don’t just focus on watching the ball and playing…make the right effort to separate the two and if you make the right effort, you will ultimately contribute to the victory.”

Aiden Markram is in the Favorites tab

On pen and paper, South Africa looks stronger than New Zealand. Ahead of the semi-final, many pundits and fans believed that the Proteas were the favorites to snatch this crucial game from the Black Caps. Although Aiden Markram doesn’t consider them favorites. Their mission is to bring out the best brand of cricket in the game.

“That’s people’s opinion. We just want to focus on the game and play an exciting game of cricket and we’ve been doing that for the last 18 months or so,” Markram replied as a favorite.

Markram knows how to get Kiwis on the field

The Proteas are undisputed in their ongoing title race and have a clear vision on how to overcome all serious challenges. It’s all about reading the conditions and executing according to the playing conditions and, under pressure, South Africa’s leaders were clearly briefed.

Aiden Markram told the media ahead of the first semi-final of the 2026 T20 World Cup: “It’s more about making the right decisions under pressure, fully understanding the situation. That makes a huge difference and ultimately executing well. There is a clear direction in which we are trying to move forward today.”

Read more: Not Rohit Sharma! Suryakumar Yadav emerges as India’s best T20I captain