New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has dismissed the underdog narrative ahead of the T20 World Cup semi-final, insisting that both his side and South Africa stand on equal footing heading into the knockout clash.

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The Black Caps face an unbeaten South African unit that has emerged as one of the most dominant teams in this edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The Proteas, led by Aiden Markram, have strung together seven consecutive wins after being pushed to two Super Overs by Afghanistan earlier in the tournament. Their group-stage victory over New Zealand in Ahmedabad further underlined their credentials.

New Zealand’s path, in contrast, has been far from smooth. A washout against Pakistan in the Super Eights and a defeat to England left them relying on net run rate to secure qualification for the last four.

“South Africa look like a very good outfit, as they’ve shown, and I guess they’re in the same boat as us,” Santner said on the eve of the semi-final at Eden Gardens. “It’s one game to reach the final. The same applies to India and England in the other semi-final.”

New Zealand’s only ICC silverware remains the World Test Championship title and the 2000 Champions Trophy, but their consistency in global tournaments is well documented. This marks their fourth T20 World Cup semi-final appearance — after 2007, 2016 and 2022 — in addition to two runners-up finishes in the ODI World Cup.

Santner admitted that his side is accustomed to being labelled underdogs.

“We’re kind of used to that tag now. But for us, the goal is always to get to this stage. We’re here, and we back ourselves to adapt quickly to what’s in front of us,” he said. “At this stage, it’s just a knockout game. Whoever turns up on the day goes through.”

Santner emphasised that curbing South Africa’s power-packed batting line-up will be central to their plans.

“There’s no real secrets about what South Africa bring, and they probably know what we do as well. It’s about the surface and adapting quickly,” he said.

“It’s not just their top order — the middle order has a lot of power too. Restricting them to around 180 instead of 220 would make a big difference. They’ve got all bases covered, which is why they’re undefeated.”

Both teams carry the scars of past ICC heartbreaks, and Santner acknowledged the stakes involved.

“They’re playing very good cricket and are the only unbeaten team. We’ve been playing decent cricket as well. It’s about who handles the conditions best and executes on the day,” he said.

New Zealand’s qualification was sealed only after Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan, eliminating the latter and clearing the way for the Black Caps to progress.

Reflecting on their journey through Chennai, Ahmedabad and Colombo, Santner highlighted the need for constant adjustment to varying conditions.

“There have been very fine margins separating teams. We’ve seen potential upsets throughout the tournament,” he said. “Now it’s one game, and you can move on. We’re here, which is ideal, but we’ve got a big challenge ahead.”

On conditions in Kolkata, Santner expects a balanced pitch.

“It’s a fairly flat wicket. Spinners and seamers both have roles to play, and ground dimensions matter. At this time of year, there’s probably less dew. Whatever you do first, you have to do it well to put yourself in a strong position.”

The New Zealand skipper also relished the prospect of playing in front of a packed house in India.

“The fans are one of the reasons you play the game. They come out in huge numbers here, and tomorrow will be no different. For some guys, it’s their first World Cup semi-final in front of a big crowd — that’s exciting.”