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South Africa enter the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup in Kolkata this Wednesday with a perfect record and a burning desire to secure their first-ever white-ball world title.
Led by Aiden Markram, the unbeaten Proteas are looking to shed their historic reputation for “choking” on the big stage.
Having already secured their first global trophy in the World Test Championship last year, eight members of that winning squad are now focused on achieving a similar breakthrough in the shorter format.
The Proteas face a familiar opponent in New Zealand, a team they defeated convincingly during the group stage.
Markram has been a standout performer, notably anchoring a seven-wicket victory over the Black Caps earlier in the tournament.
South Africa’s current form suggests they are well-positioned to avoid a repeat of their agonising 2024 final loss to India, where they narrowly failed to chase down a modest target in the closing overs.
Standing in the way of a potential rematch is a blockbuster second semi-final between defending champions India and a resurgent England side.
While India carry the immense pressure of playing on home soil at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, England have found their stride under captain Harry Brook.
Brook’s recent century against Pakistan has signalled that the defending champions from two years ago are peaking at the right moment, despite India’s status as the world’s top-ranked T20 team.
As the tournament moves toward its climax in Ahmedabad, the stakes couldn’t be higher. India is aiming to become the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cups and the first to do so as hosts.
However, South Africa remain the top team of the competition, having won all seven of their matches thus far.
For Markram’s side, Wednesday’s clash in Kolkata is not just a semi-final but the penultimate step in a mission to finally claim their maiden limited-overs crown.
