Kolkata: South Africa and New Zealand meet in the first semifinal of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Wednesday at Eden Gardens, with a place in the final at stake.
The contest marks their second meeting of the tournament. Their earlier group-stage match carried limited consequences, but this knockout fixture will decide the first finalist.
South Africa arrive unbeaten. The Proteas advanced smoothly through the group stage and maintained their form in the Super 8s, including a win over India that strengthened their position as title contenders.
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New Zealand’s campaign has featured mixed results. The Black Caps moved past the group stage with three wins and one loss, the defeat coming against South Africa. In the Super 8s, they beat Sri Lanka, lost narrowly to England and had a match against Pakistan abandoned because of rain.
The weather could again influence proceedings. Unlike the Super 8 phase, the semifinals have a reserve day and additional time built into the schedule. Match officials are permitted 90 extra minutes on the original day to complete play.
If rain interrupts the semifinal March 4 and prevents completion, the match will resume on the reserve day, March 5, from the point of stoppage.
If no play is possible across both days, tournament regulations state that the team finishing higher in the Super 8 standings will advance. South Africa topped Super 8 Group 1 with six points, while New Zealand progressed from Group 2 with three points.
In that scenario, South Africa would move into the final.
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