2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 1, 2026 08:26 PM ISTSouth Africa coach Shukri Conrad (R) with Dewald Breview. (FILE PHOTO: AP)South Africa’s perfect seven-match winning streak at the ICC T20 World Cup has elevated them to the status of tournament favourites, but coach Shukri Conrad has insisted that the added pressure will not be a deterrent.Speaking after their five-wicket win over Zimbabwe in their final Super 8s game in New Delhi on Sunday, Conrad came out defiantly about his side shedding the longstanding ‘choker’ tag, also taking a jibe at the broadcasters in the process.“There’s always pressure, it’s about what you do with that pressure and how you shift that pressure. As for the ‘C’ word (choker), there’s another one called ‘cupcakes’ that we have to throw in, don’t want to forget that,” Conrad told reporters at Arun Jaitley Stadium.AS IT HAPPENED | SOUTH AFRICA VS ZIMBABWE T20 WORLD CUP 2026 SUPER 8 MATCH HIGHLIGHTSThe ‘cupcake’ jibe was in reference to an advertisement aired by the tournament’s official broadcaster before South Africa played India, showing a Saffer choking on a cupcake and then being handed a bottle of water, a play on the perpetual ‘choker’ tag labelled on the Proteas, who were pipped to the title by India at the last edition of the tournament. The ad was subsequently taken off air. South Africa went on to hammer the hosts by 76 runs in Ahmedabad.Throughout the tournament, the Proteas have been giving answers on the field to any criticism or concern about their mental fortitude. Conrad insisted that they will be just fine in dealing with the pressure of starting as favourites in the semifinal against New Zealand in Kolkata on Wednesday.“I don’t think it (pressure) will change anything. For us, it will be business as usual. We will start as favourites against New Zealand probably because we’re the only unbeaten side in the tournament. But I don’t know if that adds to the pressure. Playing the semifinal is pressure enough. Playing a top side is pressure enough,” he said.Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd