

Match Prediction
South Africa and New Zealand meet in the T20 World Cup semi-final in Kolkata. Both teams have not won an ICC white-ball trophy since 2000. South Africa are unbeaten in this tournament and defeated New Zealand in the group stage. They have played all their matches in India. New Zealand advanced after relying on another result and a win over Sri Lanka. The match will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram has scored 268 runs at a strike rate of 175.16. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said his team needed Pakistan to lose to qualify. New Zealand have won three knockout matches against South Africa in ICC events, all in 50-over cricket. The winner will qualify for the final.
Toss & Conditions
The semi-final will be played in Kolkata, India. Conditions are expected to favour fast bowlers more than spin, as both teams plan to rely on pace.
Head-to-Head
In the last three meetings, South Africa won once and New Zealand won twice. The most recent match on February 14, 2026, was won by South Africa by seven wickets.
South Africa
South Africa have won their last three matches, beating Zimbabwe, West Indies, and India, and hold a 9-1 record with a net run rate of 1.809.
New Zealand
New Zealand have won two of their last three matches, defeating Sri Lanka and Canada but losing to England, with an overall record of 5-5 and a net run rate of -0.048.
Playing XI
Key Stats
Verdict
Model projections give South Africa a 66% win probability against New Zealand’s 34%. Bookmakers list South Africa at 63% implied probability with odds of 1.543. South Africa lead by 60.1 Elo points and have a net run rate advantage of 1.86. They have won all their last three matches, while New Zealand have won two of their last three.
ZIZimbabwe
153/7
SASouth Africa
154/5
WIWest Indies
176/8
SASouth Africa
177/1
INIndia
111/10
SASouth Africa
187/7
SASouth Africa
123/4
UAUnited Arab Emirates
122/6
NZNew Zealand
175/7
SASouth Africa
178/3
AFAfghanistan
187/10
SASouth Africa
187/6
CACanada
156/8
SASouth Africa
213/4
INIndia
240/4
SASouth Africa
210/6
SASouth Africa
118/6
WIWest Indies
114/3
SASouth Africa
225/3
WIWest Indies
221/4
SA3
NZ4
ENEngland
161/6
NZNew Zealand
159/7
NZNew Zealand
168/7
SLSri Lanka
107/8
CACanada
173/4
NZNew Zealand
176/2
NZNew Zealand
175/7
SASouth Africa
178/3
NZNew Zealand
175/0
UAUnited Arab Emirates
173/6
AFAfghanistan
182/6
NZNew Zealand
183/5
NZNew Zealand
208/7
USUnited States of America
201/8
INIndia
271/5
NZNew Zealand
225/10
INIndia
165/10
NZNew Zealand
215/7
INIndia
155/2
NZNew Zealand
153/9
