SA vs NZ: New Zealand Wins Toss and Bowls First in 1st Semi Final at Eden Gardens

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has won the toss and elected to bowl first against South Africa in the first semi-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

In this SA vs NZ exciting match, Santner cited the potential for heavy dew later in the evening as the primary reason for chasing, a factor that traditionally makes gripping the ball difficult for bowlers in the second innings at this venue.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner expressed that he would have also preferred to bowl but remains confident, noting the pitch looks like a "pretty good wicket" and they are happy to set a target.

South Africa Playing XI: 

Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi

New Zealand Playing XI: 

Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Cole McConchie, Lockie Ferguson.