SA vs NZ Semi-Final Showdown: Markram’s South Africa Take on Santner’s New Zealand

New Delhi: The match that is going to be held today at Eden Gardens in Kolkata has a slightly different tone. On one side is South Africa, which did not lose a single match in the entire tournament; on the other side is New Zealand, which came here on the basis of net run rate. If we look at it on paper, South Africa seems ahead, but cricket is not played only on paper.

How is the South African team looking this time?

Captain Aiden Markram has been scoring runs continuously with the bat in this tournament. On top of that, there are batsmen like Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton and David Miller who can tear apart any bowling attack. In bowling, the pairing of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Yansen is dangerous. In this tournament they beat India by 76 runs and West Indies by 9 wickets—that shows the mood the team is in.

New Zealand How to get here?

New Zealand's path has not been easy. Lost to England, had one match washed out in rain and had to rely on net run rate. But that's what's special about this team — they don't give up as easily as others think. Mitchell Santner's captaincy is calm, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen can score runs from the top, and Lockie Ferguson's pace can trouble any batsman. The good news is that Matt Henry is back in the team after the birth of his child and can play today.

In whose favor is the head-to-head record?

Talking about records, South Africa has the upper hand. South Africa has won all the matches that have taken place between these two so far in the T20 World Cup. In the same tournament also, South Africa defeated New Zealand by 7 wickets in Ahmedabad. But this is the semifinals—old stats don't help much here.

Who will benefit from the Eden Gardens pitch?

The pitch at Eden Gardens is a batsman's friend. Fast bowlers get some help in the first overs but after that the batsmen can play as per their wish. Here big scores are made in the first innings, so the toss will be important. The weather is clear; there is no worry about rain.

Who will win today?

South Africa is considered a favorite, and with good reason – form, team depth and record are all on their side. But New Zealand is a team that has suddenly woken up in ICC tournaments—this is also true. It will not be surprising if today's match is close. With the crowd at Eden Gardens and the spirit of both the teams, something memorable is expected to happen today.