South Africa's Proteas will meet New Zealand in the first semifinal of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup on March 4 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The unbeaten Proteas aim for their second consecutive final appearance, while New Zealand seeks revenge for a group-stage loss. Key bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Corbin Bosch are expected to play pivotal roles.
The Proteas, under coach Shukri Conrad, have won all seven of their matches in the tournament, including a commanding seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in the group stage. That win highlighted the form of fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, who took 1-34 and has since claimed 12 wickets in six matches, making him South Africa's leading wicket-taker in the competition. Ngidi recently overtook Tabraiz Shamsi to become the Proteas' all-time leading T20I wicket-taker with 90 scalps.
Ngidi attributes his success to variety in his bowling: “A bit of bounce and presenting the seam well. Then, also being able to bowl slower balls in the power play. The batters never know what’s coming next. I like to keep them guessing, while also being very accurate with the new ball.”
Complementing Ngidi is teammate Corbin Bosch, who has taken 11 wickets in six matches, often finishing innings strongly. Captain Aiden Markram praised Bosch: “He’s really clear in what he’s trying to do. He bowls a really good yorker, and it’s something he takes a lot of pride in. As for his ability at the death? He has put in a lot of work to put his hand up for that role.”
New Zealand captain Mitch Santner acknowledges the Proteas' strength, calling them a “very well-balanced side” and the only unbeaten team. He reflected on the group-stage defeat: “The power play for us with the ball was where they really got away to a flyer.” Santner emphasized pressuring South Africa's deep batting lineup to restrict them to a moderate total, rather than aiming for an outright dismissal.
Markram views the semifinal as a fresh start, despite the prior win: “New Zealand is a quality team; they’ve proven that over a number of years now. It’s a fresh start in the semifinal match.” The match begins at 3:30pm South African time, with India facing England in the second semifinal the following day.
