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Semi-final match between South Africa and New Zealand in Kolkata

Eden Gardens: The first semi-final of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 will be played between South Africa and New Zealand at Eden Gardens. South Africa remains unbeaten due to its excellent form and the team’s confidence is very high. At the same time, New Zealand, which is playing under the captaincy of Mitchell Santner, has secured a place in the semi-finals despite difficulties. This match is going to be special because of the history, form of the teams and pressure.

Under the leadership of Aiden Markram, South Africa had made a great start in the Super-8 round. The team defeated defending champions India by 76 runs, and then defeated two-time champions West Indies by a huge margin. The team secured a ticket to the semi-finals by securing a close win against Zimbabwe in the last group stage match. With consecutive wins, Aiden Markram’s team is being considered a strong contender for the title.

Kiwis’ challenging journey

New Zealand’s journey in this tournament has been quite challenging. The first match of Super-8 against Pakistan was canceled due to rain. After this they regained the momentum by defeating host Sri Lanka by 61 runs. However, despite a close defeat against England in the final group match, the team made it to the top-4 due to better net run rate. New Zealand has maintained balance under pressure.

Sixth clash of both the teams

This will be the sixth meeting between South Africa and New Zealand in the history of T20 World Cup. South Africa has succeeded in becoming the winner in the last five matches. From the quarter-finals of the T20 World Cup 2007 till the group stage of the current tournament, New Zealand has not been able to win against South Africa. The statistics are in favor of South Africa, but the pressure of the semi-finals can weave a new story.

Possibility of high scoring match

The pitch of Eden Gardens is considered favorable for batsmen. Here the average score of the team batting first is 182 runs. In the recent situation, fast bowlers have taken more wickets than spin bowlers, in which fast bowlers have taken 44 wickets and spinners have taken 31 wickets. The bounce of the pitch and the fast outfield helps in effective batting in changing conditions, increasing the chances of high-scoring contests. According to the weather, the maximum temperature is likely to be 33 degrees and minimum 19 degrees, while the possibility of rain is very less.