ICC Men's T20 World Cup title contenders South Africa national cricket team saw their unbeaten tournament run collapse in dramatic fashion after suffering a crushing nine-wicket defeat to New Zealand national cricket team in the semi-final at Eden Gardens.

Despite having beaten the Black Caps earlier in the tournament and entering the match as strong favourites, the Proteas were comprehensively outplayed, with New Zealand sealing victory with 43 balls to spare.

The margin of defeat was widely described as the most dominant result of the tournament and has reignited long-standing questions about South Africa’s struggles in high-pressure knockout matches.

After winning the toss, New Zealand opted to bowl first and quickly put South Africa under pressure.

The Proteas battled their way to 169/8 in their allotted 20 overs, a total that many many felt was well below par for the batting-friendly Eden Gardens surface.

A late surge from Marco Jansen added some respectability to the innings, but expectations had been for a total closer to 200.

In response, New Zealand delivered a ruthless batting display as opener Finn Allen smashed an unbeaten 100 from just 33 balls, registering the fastest century in T20 World Cup history and powering his side to the target in only 12.5 overs with just one wicket lost.

The defeat was particularly shocking given South Africa’s commanding form throughout the tournament.

Led by captain Aiden Markram, the team had combined aggressive batting with disciplined bowling, making them one of the most balanced sides in the competition.

Their top order—featuring Quinton de Kock, Markram, and Ryan Rickelton—had consistently delivered strong starts.

While the bowling attack of Kagiso Rabada, Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, and Keshav Maharaj had kept opponents under control.

Head coach Shukri Conrad had even embraced the pressure of being tournament favourites, insisting that South Africa should be comfortable playing from a position of expectation.

New Zealand, however, once again demonstrated their pedigree in knockout cricket.

Alongside Allen’s blistering innings, players such as Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, and Daryl Mitchell provided depth and firepower in the batting lineup, while captain Mitchell Santner and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi strengthened the bowling unit.

The result leaves South Africa once again facing painful questions about their record in ICC knockout matches.

While New Zealand advance with renewed confidence as they continue their pursuit of another global title.