Kolkata’s Eden Gardens witnessed history on Wednesday as New Zealand demolished South Africa by 9 wickets in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final, booking their second-ever final appearance. Finn Allen’s explosive 100 off 33 balls, the quickest in tournament history, stole the show.
South Africa entered as favorites, invincible in the World Cup until this clash. They’d beaten New Zealand earlier in groups, but the semis brought a different beast. New Zealand won the toss, bowled first, and restricted the Proteas to 169/8. Marco Jansen’s unbeaten 55 provided some respectability, but it wasn’t enough.
New Zealand’s openers tore apart the target. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert piled on 117 in the powerplay. Seifert’s 58 off 33 ended soon after, but Allen continued the assault – 10 boundaries and 8 maximums – guiding his team to victory in just 12.5 overs with 173/1.
Flashback to 2021: New Zealand had reached the final by defeating England, scoring 172/4 with Kane Williamson’s 85. But Aaron Finch’s Australia chased it down in 18.5 overs, thanks to David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, clinching their maiden T20 title by 8 wickets. Four years on, New Zealand is back, hungrier than ever for glory.