T20 World Cup 2026 Bulletin March 4: Shastri backs Abhishek, Sanju thanks Fans, Kolkata braces for Semifinal

The T20 World Cup 2026 is set to take its final few laps as South Africa play New Zealand in the first semifinal on Wednesday in Kolkata. Check out the biggest stories across the competition here in the Bulletin.

South Africa, New Zealand eye for Final berth

The first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2026 pits an unbeaten South Africa against a resilient New Zealand at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on March 4 at 7:00 PM IST. The Proteas have been the standout team of the tournament, winning all their matches-including a dominant 7-wicket victory over New Zealand in the group stage-and topping their Super 8 group with maximum points. Led by Aiden Markram's calm captaincy and explosive batting from players like Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock, and Tristan Stubbs, South Africa have combined clinical bowling (led by Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje) with fearless chasing.

SA players' family members reach Kolkata via Tanzania, Ethiopia

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly US-Israel-Iran-related airspace restrictions and flight cancellations through hubs like Dubai and Doha, forced several family members of the South African squad to take unconventional routes to reach Kolkata for the crucial semi-final against New Zealand. Instead of the usual direct or one-stop flights via the UAE or Qatar, family groups rerouted through Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) on Ethiopian Airlines and, in some cases, Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) before connecting to Kolkata.

India delay practice at Wankhede for Lunar Eclipse

India's scheduled evening net session at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on March 3 was pushed back by roughly one hour-from the original 6:00 PM IST start-due to a partial lunar eclipse visible across much of India that evening. Several senior players and support staff reportedly viewed the celestial event as inauspicious according to traditional beliefs, prompting the BCCI and team management to reschedule the session to begin closer to 7:00 PM IST.

Sanju Samson thanks fans on social media

Sanju Samson delivered one of the standout performances of the T20 World Cup 2026 with an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls against West Indies in the Super 8 stage, powering India to a decisive victory that sealed their semi-final spot. The innings-filled with elegant drives, audacious scoops, and fearless six-hitting-earned widespread acclaim and triggered an outpouring of love from fans across India and beyond.

After the match, Samson took to social media to express his gratitude: "Just wanted to reach out and convey my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who showed love, support and kept me in prayers. Seeing and experiencing so much love coming my way truly means a lot."

Ravi Shastri backs Abhishek to score runs against England

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has strongly advocated for retaining Abhishek Sharma as an opener for the semi-final clash against England on March 5 at Wankhede Stadium, despite the left-hander's modest returns in the tournament so far (80 runs across six innings at a below-par average). Shastri pointed to Abhishek's explosive track record against England, most notably his career-best 135 off 59 balls in a bilateral T20I series earlier in 2025, the highest individual score by an Indian in T20Is.