TOP STORIES
"I'm glad that we're favourites": South Africa coach Shukri Conrad embraces 'favourite tag'
South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad has urged his team to embrace the pressure of being labelled favourites as they prepare for a high-stakes semi-final clash against New Zealand in the Men's T20 World Cup on Wednesday in Kolkata. The Proteas have been in commanding form throughout the tournament, and they extended their unbeaten run with a convincing five-wicket win over Zimbabwe in Delhi on Sunday. Speaking ahead of the crucial match, Conrad stressed the importance of maintaining belief under pressure.
"There's always pressure. I think it's what you do with that pressure and how you shift the pressure," Conrad said while speaking to reporters.
"It's really about embracing that pressure. And we don't do things any differently. We're going to prepare exactly the same way for New Zealand. Whether we start as favourites, probably because we're the only unbeaten side in the competition. But I don't know if that adds to the pressure. I think the semi-final is pressure enough. Playing a top side New Zealand is pressure enough."
"So there's no added pressure, and I'm glad that we're favourites because I always felt that as a South African team, you want to be able to play as a favourite because it's easy being an underdog. The expectation isn't great or that much. And now we've assumed the tag, which we don't really talk much about," he said.
"But if we can continue doing what we're doing, then yeah, you need a little bit of luck along the way as well. And hopefully that will give us the result on Wednesday, and then on to our home ground in Ahmedabad."
Now, with a place in the final on the line, South Africa face a formidable challenge in the Black Caps, who have also shown enough consistency.
Tags
More News
Schedule revealed for Afghanistan's tour of India
India are set to host Afghanistan in a one-off Test match set to begin on March 6, marking their first meeting in the longest format since 2018. The match will be played at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, which will be a maiden Test at the venue. The tour also features three ODIs, scheduled to be playe...
"It is Sanju's special Samson today": Ravi Shastri full of praise for Samson
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has heaped praise on Sanju Samson following the opener’s breathtaking knock against West Indies during the T20 World Cup Super 8 match in Kolkata on Sunday. Shastri believes the match-winning innings could mark the beginning of a defining chapter in Samson’s T20 career. Samson rose to the occasion with an unbeaten 97*, steer...
Australia call uncapped duo for One-Off Test against India
Australia have named two fresh faces in their squad for the upcoming one-off Test against India in Perth, handing maiden call-ups to Rachel Trenaman and Maitlan Brown. The uncapped pair join a 13-player group for the four-day contest, which begins on March 6 at the historic WACA Ground.
Their inclusion comes amid a series of injury ...
"This is the time for him to kick off": Gambhir lauds Samson's classy innings
When the pressure peaked and expectations rose, Sanju Samson delivered the kind of innings that warranted the kind of international stature he carries. His unbeaten 97 during India's Super 8 match against West Indies on Sunday in Kolkata not only anchored the chase but also sealed India’s qualification for the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2026. For head coac...
Samson's monster masterclass sends Windies packing from T20 showpiece
India produced a statement performance in Kolkata on Sunday night, stunning West Indies with a five-wicket win and knocking them out of the T20I World Cup after a pulsating Super 8 encounter at Eden Gardens. In a nail-biting finish, India chased down a massive 196-run target with six wickets in hand, finishing at 199/5 in 19.2 overs. The architect of the memora...
Android App
iOS App
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram