South Africa's record in ICC white-ball semi-finals makes for a grim reading ahead of the big clash against New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2026.
SA vs NZ T20 World Cup 2026: South Africa’s Full Record in ICC White-Ball Semifinals. (Credits: Proteas Men X)
The infamous C-word has been long associated with South Africa due to their failure to hold their nerve in the semi-finals of the ICC white-ball events. As the Proteas gear up for another T20 World Cup semi-final, it is worth looking at the senior men's team record in ICC white-ball semi-finals.
Since their re-admission to international cricket in 1992, South Africa have featured in 12 semi-finals but won only one. Their only win in the semi-final came against Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 fixture in Tarouba. Here's the Proteas list of their ICC white-ball semi-final results:
| Event | Result |
| ENG vs SA, 1992 World Cup semi-final | England won by 19 runs (Revised target) |
| AUS vs SA, 1999 World Cup semi-final | Match tied (Australia advanced to the final due to finishing higher in the Super Six table) |
| IND vs SA, 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy semi-final | India won by 95 runs |
| IND vs SA, 2002 Champions Trophy semi-final | India won by 10 runs |
| WI vs SA, 2006 Champions Trophy semi-final | West Indies won by 6 wickets |
| AUS vs SA, 2007 World Cup semi-final | Australia won by 7 wickets |
| PAK vs SA, 2009 T20 World Cup semi-final | Pakistan won by 7 runs |
| ENG vs SA, 2013 Champions Trophy semi-final | England won by 7 wickets |
| IND vs SA, 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final | India won by 6 wickets |
| NZ vs SA, 2015 World Cup semi-final | New Zealand won by 4 wickets |
| AUS vs SA, 2023 World Cup semi-final | Australia won by 7 wickets |
| AFG vs SA, 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final | South Africa won by 9 wickets |
| NZ vs SA, 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final | New Zealand won by 50 runs |
The storied venue of the Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host the first semi-final on March 4, Wednesday. Based on Team India successfully chasing down 196 against the West Indies at the same venue on Sunday, the knockout game between South Africa and New Zealand could also be a high-scoring one.
The Proteas had beaten the Kiwis comprehensively in their group stage game, chasing down 176 with seven wickets to spare.
