The semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup get underway on Wednesday with a high-stakes clash between South Africa and New Zealand. Despite South Africa’s flawless five-match record against the Black Caps in the tournament — including a commanding seven-wicket victory in the group stage — Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad insists there is no extra pressure heading into the knockout encounter.

South Africa remain the only unbeaten side in this year’s competition. They sealed their semi-final berth with a five-wicket win over Zimbabwe on Sunday, continuing a dominant campaign led by captain Aiden Markram. The skipper has been in outstanding touch, averaging nearly 54 runs per innings and anchoring the batting unit with consistency.

Speaking ahead of the contest, Conrad downplayed the significance of past results. He emphasised that the magnitude of a semi-final alone brings enough intensity.

“A semi-final is pressure enough. Playing a top side like New Zealand is pressure enough,” Conrad said. “It’s about how you handle and shift that pressure. I’m happy we’re favourites — as a South African team, you want to embrace that tag.”

New Zealand, however, will look to draw confidence from their balanced squad. Spin duo Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra could prove pivotal. Ravindra has claimed nine wickets in seven matches, though his economy rate of 9.78 suggests he has been expensive at times. With the bat, Tim Seifert has led the charge for the Kiwis, scoring 216 runs so far in the tournament.

South Africa’s bowling attack has been equally impressive. Lungi Ngidi has picked up 12 wickets, while Marco Jansen produced a match-winning spell of 4/40 against New Zealand in their previous meeting.

Team News

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead is hopeful that pace spearhead Matt Henry will return in time for the semi-final after flying home for the birth of his second child. Should Henry not make it back, Jacob Duffy is likely to step in, with Kyle Jamieson also available as a seam option.

Michael Bracewell has yet to feature in the tournament due to a left-calf injury, while Lockie Ferguson has been managing a calf concern but is expected to lead the pace attack alongside captain Santner.

For South Africa, David Miller has played a crucial role despite battling a pre-tournament adductor strain. The Proteas were forced into earlier changes, with Tony de Zorzi (hamstring) and Donovan Ferreira (fractured clavicle) ruled out and replaced by Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs respectively.

Predicted XIs

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram (c), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi