This cricket-crazy city, still basking in the afterglow of Sanju Samson’s masterclass and India’s passage to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup on Sunday, will be hoping for a proper contest when South Africa and New Zealand joust here on Wednesday for a berth in the final. The unbeaten Proteas, with seven victories on the trot, including emphatic ones over India and the Kiwis, will strut into the Eden Gardens as firm favourites, and it’s up to the Black Caps to make a match of it.

“It’s another day and it’s a knockout,” reminded Mitchell Santner, brushing aside suggestions that the Kiwis are rank outsiders. Aiden Markram too is averse to counting his chickens right now. “Both teams have played a lot of cricket since then [group stage where SA beat NZ], and it’s a completely fresh start,” the South African skipper said.