In match 31 of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, New Zealand has booked their place in the Super 8s, becoming the sixth team to qualify. Yuvraj Samra’s sensational knock went in vain as the Kiwis defeated Canada by eight wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
Already battling with two defeats to South Africa and the UAE, Canada has been eliminated from the race after their third defeat in the tournament.
Canada posted a challenging target of 174 runs for New Zealand, which started with a shaky start, losing the wicket of opener batter Tim Seifert in the third over. He made just six runs off 10 balls. Finn Allen also followed him soon after, making 21 runs off just eight balls, including two fours and a six.
Then Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips made an unbeaten partnership of 146 runs off 72 balls and helped the Kiwis reach the target in just 15.1 overs with eight wickets to spare.
Phillips starred with four fours and six sixes in his 76 not out off 36 balls and was named Player of the Match for his match-winning performance. He also took three catches while fielding. Ravindra also hit three sixes and four fours in his unbeaten knock of 59 runs off 39 balls.
Earlier, the 19-year-old Yuvraj Samra made 110 runs off just 65 balls, including 11 fours and six sixes, which helped Canada set a big target of 174 runs for New Zealand. With this, he has become the youngest player to hit a century in men’s T20 World Cup history.
Samra broke the record of Pakistan’s Ahmed Shazad for being the youngest batter to score a ton in the T20 World Cup. Shahzad was 22 years old when he hit a century against Bangladesh in the 2014 edition.
Samra’s innings was the first century by a player from an Associate nation in T20 World Cup history and came off just 65 deliveries, including 11 boundaries and six sixes. He is the second centurion of this edition after Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka. He raced to his half-century in 36 balls, showcasing explosive form.
Yuvraj Samra produces an all-time #T20WorldCup special in Chennai pic.twitter.com/cSCGMQGsiX
— ICC (@ICC) February 17, 2026
Samra, along with skipper Dilpreet Bajwa, who contributed 36 runs, had a 116-run opening partnership, taking Canada to 50/0 within the first 6 overs. Other batsmen included Navneet Dhaliwal (10), Nicholas Kirton (2), Harsh Thaker (3*), and Dilon Heyliger (8*).
Yuvraj Samra reflected on his milestone
Speaking to the broadcasters after the first innings, Yuvraj Samra said:
“Honestly, I manifested this moment ever since we qualified for the World Cup. Every single day, I dreamed about scoring a hundred on this stage. To do it here, in my first appearance, and as the youngest player in this World Cup – it’s truly a dream come true.”
Yuvraj Samra’s father, Baljit Samra, is a passionate fan of Yuvraj Singh and closely followed his career and named his son after him.
“It feels incredible. There are so many emotions right now, I can’t really put them into words. Yuvraj Singh is someone I’ve looked up to since I was a kid, so to even be mentioned in the same breath is special. I just wish my dad was here today watching me from back home – this one’s for him,” he noted.
Samra on his assessment of the surface in Chennai, said:
“The wicket was a bit slow and the ball was sticking slightly. I felt it was important to pick the right deliveries to attack and not force shots. Once I got set, I focused on timing rather than power. I think bowling into the pitch and mixing the pace will be key on this surface – it’s not the easiest track for free-flowing strokeplay, so you’ve got to adapt,” he said.
Canada vs New zealand T20 World Cup: Playing XIs
Canada:
Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (C), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (WK), Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Dilon Heyliger, Jaskarandeep Singh, Ansh Patel
New Zealand:
Tim Seifert (WK), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell (C), Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy