South Africa will take on New Zealand in the first semi-final of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, March 4. The winner between South Africa and New Zealand will face either India or England in the final in Ahmedabad on March 8.

The Proteas were the team to beat in the tournament. They advanced from Group 1 to the semi-finals with a perfect 100% record and secured a spot in the semi-finals after defeating Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, New Zealand advanced from Group Two to the semi-finals on the back of an excellent net run rate. Notably, the two teams met earlier in the group stage, with South Africa recording a convincing victory in seven games.

This article covers South Africa’s first semi-final against New Zealand, including match preview, live broadcast details, pitch and weather conditions, head-to-head statistics and key players.

SA vs NZ first semi-final preview:

Date and location:

Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens will host the first semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand on Wednesday, March 4.

Squad:

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Corbin Bose, Dewald Blevis, Quinton de Kock, Marco Janssen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Quina Mafaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickton, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs.

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devin Conway, Jacob Duffy, Locke Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Lachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Cole McConchie.

SA vs NZ possible lineups

South Africa will likely field their best starting XI. They have a great balance of power and a world-class bowling attack.

South Africa starting lineup: Quinton de Kock (week), Aiden Markram (centre), Ryan Rickton, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Dewald Brevis, Marco Janssen, Corbin Bosh, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

Team New Zealand will rely on their tactical flexibility and knockout experience. They are expected to pick more all-rounders as they have adapted well to the conditions of the subcontinent.

New Zealand starting lineup: Tim Seifert (week), Finn Allen, Lachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Cole McConchie, Mitchell Santner (centre), Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Locke Ferguson.

SA vs NZ key battles:

Quinton DeKock VS Matt Henry

Quinton de Kock is one of the best batsmen for the Proteas. He has the ability to dominate the power play and get his team off to a good start. He will face Matt Henry, New Zealand’s most disciplined seamer who inspires bounce and movement.

De Kock has scored 171 points in seven games with an average of 24.43 and a strike rate of 135.71. The left-handed batsman smashed 59 against Afghanistan and scored 47 runs off 24 balls, destroying the West Indies bowling attack. Henry took 7 wickets with an economy rate of 7.41 and his best bowling was 2/23.

Glenn Phillips VS Keshav Maharaj

Glenn Phillips is the middle order batsman for New Zealand. He will face a tough challenge from Keshav Maharaj, who finds it difficult to score on the turning track. Maharaj’s control in the middle middle often troubled aggressive batsmen like Phillips and forced them to make mistakes.

Phillips scored 176 runs in five innings at an average of 44.00 and a strike rate of 160, including a best half-century of 76. It is worth noting that in the last meeting between the two teams in the group stage, Maharaj sent him off by one point.

David Miller vs Mitchell Santner

This midfield battle could decide the outcome of the game. David Miller will face Mitchell Santner, whose clever changes of pace and left-arm angle often serve to contain big hitters. If Miller can dominate Santner, South Africa could take the lead in the middle of the game.

Miller scored 168 runs in five innings at an average of 84.00 and a strike rate of 158.49, including a half-century. The left-handed batsman also scored an unbeaten 27 off 14 balls in the group match against New Zealand. Santner, meanwhile, has failed to pass the ball so far in the tournament.

Tim Seifert VS Marco Janssen

The battle between Tim Seifert and Marco Janssen will be a crucial power show. Seifert is New Zealand’s top attacker, amassing 216 runs at a strike rate of 157.66 in the 2026 World Cup.

Marco Jansen has taken 11 wickets for South Africa in the World Cup so far, including 4/22 in the win over India. Jansen has already dismissed Seifert once in this tournament in the previous encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium and will be looking to repeat that early breakthrough.

South Africa vs New Zealand key players:

South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi.

New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Darryl Mitchell, Matt Henry.

India vs New Zealand Free Live Streaming, Live Streaming:

Indian TV Rights: The semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network.

Live streaming platform in India: Fans can live stream matches on the JioHotstar app and website.

When will the competition be held? The first semi-final will be played on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

Where will the game be played? The match is scheduled to be played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

How to watch live TV? Viewers can watch celebrity sports channels.

How to conduct online live broadcast on mobile phone? You can watch the match on JioHotstar with a valid subscription.

SA vs NZ weather report, Kolkata

The weather in Kolkata is expected to be fine on March 4, suitable for cricket matches. Temperatures will hover around 27°C at night and may drop slightly overnight. No rain is expected, so 40-plus games should be possible.

However, high humidity at Eden Gardens may result in heavy dew during the second innings. This can make the ball greasy and difficult for bowlers to grip, especially spinners.

South Australia vs New Zealand Eden Gardens Promotion Report:

The Eden Gardens is known to favor the batsmen and this trend continued with several high-scoring matches during the 2026 T20 World Cup. The surface looked dry but a thin covering of grass before the match helped the seamers early on, especially with the new ball.

Dew is expected to play a big role in the late game. Since batting under lights becomes easier, the captain who wins the toss may choose to bowl first to take advantage of better conditions in the second innings.

In the overall T20 match at the venue, the average score in the first game was 163 points and the average score in the second game was 142 points. During the 2026 T20 World Cup, the team averaged 183.83 runs in the first innings and 156.00 runs in the second innings. Scotland recorded their highest total of the tournament, beating Italy 207-4 in Kolkata.

South Africa vs New Zealand head to head record

South Africa vs New Zealand head-to-head record: Key statistics:

South Africa are clearly ahead of New Zealand in T20 Internationals. In the 19 encounters between the two sides, the South African team won 12 games and the New Zealand team won 7 games.

At the T20 World Cup, South Africa has a perfect record of 4-0, beating New Zealand in every match in 2009, 2010, 2014 and 2026. The Proteas are also unbeaten on Indian soil and won the only T20I match between the two teams in Ahmedabad in 2026.

SA vs NZ head to head record: last five games

However, New Zealand have won three of the last five T20I matches between the two sides. South Africa have had the upper hand in recent encounters, convincingly defeating New Zealand in seven games in the 2026 T20 World Cup group stage. The Proteas will look to continue their recent form.

SA vs NZ head to head records – results of the last 5 matches

South Africa wins by 7 wickets in Ahmedabad on February 14, 2026

New Zealand win by 3 points in Harare on 26 July 2025

New Zealand win by 7 wickets in Harare on 22nd July 2025

New Zealand won by 21 runs in Harare on 16 July 2025

South Africa won by 78 runs in Auckland on 17 February 2017

South Africa vs New Zealand – Conclusion

South Africa will enter the semi-finals with momentum and confidence. They remain unbeaten in the tournament, including a convincing win over New Zealand in the group stages. Their quality bowling and reliable batting make them a dangerous team at Eden Gardens.

New Zealand, meanwhile, have adapted well to the subcontinent’s conditions and will look to use disciplined bowling and smart tactics to slow down South Africa. The early stages of the game can be decisive.

If the Black Caps can deal with the threats of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, they will have a real chance of breaking South Africa’s winless streak and reaching the finals.

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