Just when the Proteas needed him the most, Marco Jansen hammered a swift half-century and took his side to 169/8 against the Kiwis in the first semi-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at Eden Gardens. South Africa got off to a dismal start when they were put to bat first. The opener Quinton de Kock (10) and Ryan Rickelton (0) failed to make their impact with the latter getting out in the second over. In no time the Proteas found themselves at 12/2 and on the backfoot. The innings looked to get steadied by Aiden Markram and Dewald Brevis's 43-run stand. Markram who was struggling to find his rhythm was dismissed at 18 off 20 balls with Rachin Ravindra getting the breakthrough. The spinner went on to dismiss David Miller at 6 soon after. James Neesham joined the party of wicket-takers by dismissing Brevis at 34. In no time the Proteas found themselves in trouble at 77/5. Also Read | Watch: Tim Seifert Takes a Nasty Blow to the Face off Ferguson’s Express Delivery in T20 WC 2026 SF Jansen and Stubbs's Counter-Attack As wickets kept falling, Marco Jansen walked in to join Tristan Stubbs. With their timely sixth wicket stand, the pair managed to turn the tables by adding 73 runs in just 46 balls. Stubbs remained in the support role with a steady 29 off 24 balls including two fours and a six. It was the late onslaught by Marco Jansen who decided to take matters into his own hands with aggressive hitting in the death overs. He punished both pacers and spinners by smashing the ball to all parts of the park giving the opposition bowlers a run for their money. Lockie Ferguson dismissed Stubbs in the penultimate over, however, Jansen continued his assault. The all-rounder finished unbeaten on 55 off just 30 deliveries including two fours and five sixes taking the Proteas close to 170. Fastest Fifties in Knockouts of T20 WC Marco Jansen reached his 50 in 27 balls thus ranking among the fastest in the knockout stages: 20 balls - Yuvraj Singh vs AUS, 2007 22 balls - Michael Hussey vs PAK, 2010 23 balls - Heinrich Klaasen vs IND, 2024 26 balls - Jason Roy vs NZ, 2016 27 balls - Marco Jansen vs NZ, 2026 For New Zealand, Cole McConchie, Matt Henry and Rachin Ravindra managed to get two wickets each while Neesham and Ferguson managed to get a wicket each. However, it was the all-round performance from Marco Jansen that stole the show taking the Proteas to a respectable 169 in a high-pressure semi-final encounter.