Blackcaps captain Mitchell Santner wants his team to piece together their first "perfect game" of the Twenty20 World Cup when they face in-form South Africa in the first semi-final at Eden Gardens.
South Africa remains the tournament's only unbeaten team,m and their seven wins in a row include a seven-wicket thumping of New Zealand in the group stage in Ahmedabad.
But neither side is reading too much into that result, with Proteas captain Aiden Markram insisting they will take nothing for granted on Thursday (NZ time).
"I wish cricket were that easy," Markram said. "New Zealand are a quality team, they've proved that over many years now.
"We had a good run-out against them in the group stage. But both teams have played a lot of cricket since then, and it's completely a fresh start tomorrow. I don't think it's as straightforward as just being able to repeat this."
"We haven't probably played the perfect game throughout this tournament. I guess that's a good thing for us," Santner said. "If we can put it all together, it puts us in a pretty good position.
"We know South Africa is going to be a threat. We're just going to try to put some pressure on them at different stages of the game, and they're going to do the same for us."
Neither team has previously played in Kolkata this tournament, and both captains said much will depend on the conditions and who adapts to them best.
Markram said South Africa's perfect run was down to their smart cricket, highlighting the calm decision-making coursing through the group and the influence of wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock.
"I think it's more about making really good decisions under pressure. We've got a lot of good experience in the group.
"Quinny reads conditions really well from behind the stumps, and that makes a massive difference for us. We get that around the group, and the guys come up with plans from there. Ultimately, you need to execute them. We don't try to complicate too much."
-
What is the record of India and England in the semi-finals of T20 World Cup? This number of times the match took place in knock out

-
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana Weather LATEST Update: Heat Wave Warning Issued For THESE Places; Forecast

-
World Obesity Day 2026: Why Your Gut Microbiome Holds the Key to Weight Management

-
War in Middle East, ‘Action’ in Delhi! India created 24×7 crisis team, war will be monitored every hour

-
Happy Holi 2026 Wishes in Hindi: Month of Phalgun…20+ best quotes and messages for Holi, wish your loved ones like this
