T20 World Cup : New Zealand sends mighty South Africa home, reaching the final

South Africa, who had been the strongest team in the preliminary round of the 2026 T20 World Cup Cricket tournament, once again succumbed to their usual pressure curse at the Eden Gardens stadium as the crucial knockout stage approached. New Zealand, who just a few days ago depended on Sri Lanka's victories for their progress, displayed a unique strategic and disciplined playing style here, taking complete control of the match.

Accordingly, they have now qualified for the final match, which will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, to chase the World Cup that slipped from their grasp in 2021.

Although New Zealand was defeated without a fight by South Africa in a group stage match 20 days ago, this time the South Africans had to face the opposite experience. Chasing a target of 170 runs, Finn Allen and Tim Seifert scored 84 runs without losing a wicket in the first 6 Powerplay overs for New Zealand. These two batsmen, who are also scheduled to join the IPL tournament representing the Kolkata Knight Riders next month at the same stadium, relentlessly attacked the South African bowlers. Finn Allen played an exceptional innings, scoring an unbeaten 100 runs off 33 balls, including 10 fours and 8 sixes. This was the fastest century recorded in T20 World Cup history, surpassing Chris Gayle's previous record by 14 balls. Accordingly, New Zealand was able to record a massive 9-wicket victory with 7 overs and one ball remaining.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, who won the toss, opted to let the opponents bat first on a somewhat dry pitch. Cole McConchie, who was brought into the squad as a replacement for an injured player, dismissed both left-handed batsmen, Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton, with consecutive balls in his only over, reducing South Africa's scoreboard to 12 runs for 2 wickets. South Africa got some relief when Rachin Ravindra dropped an easy catch offered by Aiden Markram off a Lockie Ferguson delivery in the mid-wicket region. Markram and Dewald Brevis capitalized on this, scoring 17 runs in an over from James Neesham, bringing the score to 48 by the end of the Powerplay.

However, with Markram's dismissal, caught by Daryl Mitchell in the long-on region off a Rachin Ravindra delivery, New Zealand regained control of the match. This dismissal was confirmed by the third umpire. Subsequently, David Miller, who came to the crease, offered a catch that was dropped by Glenn Phillips in the deep extra cover region, but Ravindra did not allow him to stay at the wicket for long either. Miller, deceived by a slower ball, was caught at long-off. Brevis also fell two balls later, bringing South Africa's score to 77 for 5 wickets. Marco Jansen and Tristan Stubbs then attempted to build the innings cautiously, and by the end of the 16th over, they had lifted the team's score to 113. This pair managed to launch a massive attack, scoring 15 runs in an over from Matt Henry and 22 runs in an over from Neesham.

However, that crucial partnership was broken when Stubbs was dismissed by a fast leg-cutter from Lockie Ferguson. Marco Jansen, fighting a lone battle, scored an unbeaten 55 runs off 27 balls, including two sixes, but faced only one ball in the final over. At the end of the allotted 20 overs, South Africa could only manage 169 runs for 8 wickets. In bowling, Rachin Ravindra took 2 wickets for 29 runs, and Cole McConchie took 2 wickets for 9 runs. New Zealand, playing the reply innings, got off to a quick start, scoring 19 runs in the first two overs, and then launched a fierce attack on Jansen in the third over, and then on Corbin Bosch, completely taking control of the match within the Powerplay. Tim Seifert recorded his half-century off 28 balls, while Finn Allen completed his half-century 9 balls earlier, in just 19 balls. In the 10th over, Kagiso Rabada broke the 117-run opening partnership by dismissing Seifert for 58 runs, but Allen scored his next 50 runs in 14 balls, leading the team to a historic victory with 173 runs for just one wicket in 12 overs and 5 balls.