Kolkata, March 5 South Africa's head coach Shukri Conrad made no excuses after his side crashed out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 with a comprehensive nine-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the first semi-final played at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
The Proteas entered the knockout clash riding a seven-match unbeaten run in the tournament, but New Zealand produced a dominant display to secure a place in the final. Opener Finn Allen smashed a record-breaking century as the Blackcaps chased down a target of 171 runs in just 12.5 overs, leaving South Africa with no answer.
When asked after the match whether South Africa had once again succumbed to pressure on the big stage, Conrad dismissed the suggestion and instead admitted his team had simply been outplayed in all departments.
"I don't know if tonight was a choke. I thought it was a bloody walloping. We got our arses kicked," Conrad admitted in the post-match press conference.
"I think in order for you to choke, you must have had a sniff in the game. We didn't have a sniff. In South Africa, we say we'd get moered. Tonight, we got a proper snot klaaped, also a South African word meaning a real hiding," he added.
Despite the heavy defeat, Conrad insisted the Proteas had several positives to take from their campaign. Captain Aiden Markram was among the tournament’s standout performers with 286 runs, while pacers Lungi Ngidi (12 wickets), Corbin Bosch and Marco Jansen (11 wickets each) also featured prominently among the leading wicket-takers.
Conrad believes critics will focus solely on the semi-final loss, but he maintained that his players had produced plenty of memorable moments throughout the tournament.
"I think there'll be enough people that are going to be jumping on the bandwagon, but yeah, we did so many special things. I'm so proud of these guys," he said.
"I don't think many people gave us much of a chance of even getting into a semi-final when we left the shores, given our form before that.
"But that's no consolation or anything like that. Look, I mean, I think it's cue the abuse now. There'll be enough of it," Conrad concluded.
South Africa’s exit once again ended their hopes of winning a T20 World Cup trophy, while New Zealand will now turn their focus to the summit clash on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
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