South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad talked about the infamous Star Sports promo for the India v. South Africa T20 World Cup 2026 game featuring a cupcake. In the promo, a South African chokes on a cupcake as he tries to eat it before the Indian fellow, a sign towards the Proteas' defeat to India in the T20 World Cup 2024 final.

The advertisement received negative feedback from all quarters and was taken off the air after South Africa handed a huge 76-run defeat to India in Ahmedabad in the group stage.

South Africa has not been able to win a World Cup despite their best efforts, though they have an ICC Champions Trophy and an ICC World Test Championship in their cabinet.

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad has said that his team enjoyed the much-talked-about ‘cupcake’ promo that was aired. When challenged about the pressure of the C word, meaning "chokers," Conrad responded with another C word, referencing the cupcake ad.

South Africa has won four group games and three Super 8 games to be the only unbeaten team in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Conrad stated that such a large event usually generates pressure, but the key is to deal with it effectively.

“There’s always pressure. I think it’s what you do with that pressure and how you shift the pressure. As for the C word, I think there’s another one for it: cupcakes. I thought we kind of enjoyed that. But no, there’s always pressure, and 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,” said Conrad following the win over Zimbabwe in their final Super Eights game.

South Africa will face New Zealand in the first semi-final on March 4 in Kolkata and start as the favorites in the knockout game.

“Whether we start as favorites, 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 semifinal is pressure enough. Playing a top side like New Zealand is pressure enough.

So, there’s no added pressure, and I’m glad that we’re the favorites because I always felt that as a South African team, you want to be able to play as a favorite. After all, it’s easy being an underdog. And yeah, hopefully that will give us the result on Wednesday and then on to our home ground in Ahmedabad (for the final),” said Conrad.

(ANI inputs)