New Zealand batsman Daryl Mitchell is confident the Kiwis will use their extensive knowledge of Indian conditions to do well in the ICC T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa. Mitchell Santner’s side play the first semi-final of the tournament against the unbeaten Proteas on Wednesday, March 4.
Ahead of the knockout game, Mitchell said the Kiwis would not make the competition any bigger than it needed to be. New Zealand spent a month in India ahead of the T20 World Cup and are well aware of the conditions due to the strong cricketing ties between the two nations.
“We’re pretty clear about how we want to operate as the Black Caps, both on and off the field. We’re not making things bigger than they are,” Mitchell told New Zealand Cricket on Monday. “But we’re also very happy to be in this position and know how lucky we are to be here in the semi-finals,” Mitchell said.
“We’ve spent a bit of time here in India in the last two months and I think we know what conditions we’re going to face,” he added.
BLACKCAPS READY FOR THE INDIAN CHALLENGE
New Zealand returned briefly from Sri Lanka – where they played several matches on vastly different surfaces – before refocusing on the Indian challenge. The team then made it to the semi-finals Pakistan failed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 runs in his last Super 8 match.
“It will be different to what we experienced in the last fortnight in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan surfaces were much slower and much lower and it was quite difficult at the back end of the innings,” explained Mitchell. “But I think the guys will trust the preparation we’ve had over the last few months and just look forward to getting stuck in.
He emphasized that this preparation is part of a wider team philosophy: to win small moments.
“Trying to win the little moments is something we talk about all the time and hopefully that means we’re heading into the final in a few days,” he said.
Standing in New Zealand’s way are South Africa – unbeaten in the tournament and fresh from beating the Kiwis by seven wickets in the group stage.
Mitchell was under no illusions about the scale of the task.
“They were one of the best teams in the competition for a reason and they are where they are,” he said. “So we’re really excited to host them, even here in Kolkata in the semi-finals of the World Cup.”
At Eden Gardens, where a full house is expected, Mitchell acknowledged the occasion without blowing it.
“It’s going to be really great for me to get into a full crowd at Eden Gardens. It’s always pretty special,” he concluded.
The semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa will be played on March 4 at the Eden Gardens at 7 PM IST.
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Published on:
March 3, 2026 07:34 IST
