Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar hailed New Zealand opener Finn Allen's record-breaking century in the T20 World Cup semifinal, lauding him for "finishing" before fans "could settle in".

"I don't know if tonight was a choke, I thought it was a bloody walloping," Conrad told reporters after the game.

Finn Allen lit up the Eden Gardens with a stunning 33-ball 100 not out, toying with the South African attack with towering sixes and superb boundaries as New Zealand chased down 170 in just 12.5 overs, sealing a nine-wicket win with 43 balls to spare.

Mitchell Santner said he was delighted with his team's dominant display in the Men's T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa, describing the nine-wicket win as a pretty pleasing' performance in a high-pressure contest.

South Africa skipper Aiden Markram credited New Zealand's explosive opening pair for taking the game away from his side in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final.

Finn Allen - that will be a name every cricket fan in the world will take note of after Wednesday. The New Zealand opener made a mockery of the 170-run target set by South Africa in the T20 World Cup semi-final in Kolkata

Opener Finn Allen struck a stunning unbeaten 100 off just 33 balls to lead New Zealand into the T20 World Cup summit clash as they thrashed South Africa by nine wickets in the first semifinal on Wednesday.

New Zealand spinners put on an impressive show before Marco Jansen's brutal rearguard assault took South Africa to a decent 169 for 8 in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup

SA vs NZ, T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final: Finn Allen smashed the fastest century in T20 World Cup history to help New Zealand beat South Africa in just 12.5 in the first semi-final in Kolkata.

South Africa vs New Zealand LIVE Streaming, T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final LIVE Telecast: When And Where To Watch SA vs NZ

Jansen's remarks came ahead of the Proteas semi-final clash against New Zealand at the same venue where he tried to replicate Bumrah's bowling technique, Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

Rabada, who played a crucial role in Proteas' maiden WTC title win last year with a nine-wicket haul (including a fifer) against Australia at Lord's, has struggled to live up to his high standards during this T20 World Cup.

Aiden Markram has never been better as a batsman in T20Is than in the ongoing World Cup, but for that to happen, the South African skipper had to train his mind to shut the "captain" in him every time he went out to bat

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has shrugged off the underdog tag, declaring both teams "in the same boat" as the Black Caps prepare to face undefeated South Africa for a spot in the T20 World Cup final

According to a report, the families travelled via Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, while one family routed their journey through Tanzania to reach India before the airspace shutdown affected more connections due to the US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

South Africa and New Zealand are meeting for the second time in this T20 World Cup, but the stakes are much higher than in their previous match. Unlike their earlier group game, which had little impact, this is now the first semifinal of the tournament as the match.

South African skipper Aiden Markram will be asked probing questions by his New Zealand counterpart Mitchell Santner in what promises to be an intriguing battle between two incredibly talented captains' in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2026 on Wednesday.

India take on England in the T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.