Yuvraj Samra’s extraordinary 110 off 65 balls – the first century by an Associate batter in T20 World Cup history and the youngest centurion the tournament has ever seen – wasn’t enough to save Canada as New Zealand cruised to an eight-wicket victory at Chepauk, sealing their Super 8s berth while simultaneously extinguishing Afghanistan’s qualification hopes.
The 19-year-old carried his side to 173/4 almost single-handedly, smashing James Neesham for four consecutive boundaries in the powerplay before reaching his historic hundred to a standing ovation.
However, Glenn Phillips ensured the heroics were in vain, blazing to the fastest fifty by a New Zealander in T20 World Cups off just 22 balls, before sharing an unbroken 146-run partnership with Rachin Ravindra (59*) that swept New Zealand to victory with 4.5 overs to spare.
Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Canada vs New Zealand, T20 World Cup, Group D |
| Venue | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Result | New Zealand won by 8 wickets |
| Canada | 173/4 (20 overs) |
| New Zealand | 176/2 (15.1 overs) |
| Player of the Match | Glenn Phillips |
| Toss | Canada won and chose to bat |
First Innings Highlights
Canada’s innings was defined entirely by 19-year-old Yuvraj Samra, who announced himself to the world with a record-breaking performance.
Opening alongside skipper Dilpreet Bajwa, Samra began cautiously before detonating in the final powerplay over, smashing James Neesham for 4, 4, 4, and 6 to seize momentum.
He reached fifty off 36 balls and continued to accelerate, striking Cole McConchie for back-to-back sixes before pulling Jamieson over the sightscreen for 93 meters.
Bajwa (36 off 39, 4 fours) provided steady support in a 116-run opening stand before falling to Kyle Jamieson at long-off. Samra completed his historic hundred – the first by an Associate batter in T20 World Cup history – off 58 balls with a toe-end boundary off Jamieson, removing his helmet and raising his bat in an emotional celebration.
He was finally dismissed for 110 off 65 balls (11 fours, 6 sixes) in the 20th over, caught by Glenn Phillips off Jacob Duffy. Navneet Dhaliwal (10 off 7 with 1 six) and Dilon Heyliger (8* off 3 with 1 six) added late impetus to finish on 173/4.
| Category | Player | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Best Batsman | Yuvraj Samra | 110 runs (65 balls, 11×4, 6×6) |
| Best Bowler | Jacob Duffy | 4-0-25-1 |
Second Innings Highlights
New Zealand’s reply began disastrously as Saad Bin Zafar bowled a wicket maiden, dismissing Tim Seifert (6) caught at mid-off in a wicket maiden, before Dilon Heyliger caught Finn Allen (21 off 8, 2 fours, 1 six) at cover off a leading edge. At 35/2, Canada briefly dared to dream.
Then Glenn Phillips entered and ended all hope. He launched Dilpreet Bajwa for a flat six over wide long-on, smoked back-to-back sixes off Ansh Patel, and brought up the fastest fifty by a New Zealander in T20 World Cups off just 22 balls with a pull over deep mid-wicket.
Rachin Ravindra (59* off 39) matched Phillips boundary for boundary, reaching his own fifty with a slog-sweep off Shivam Sharma. The pair added 146 runs in just 72 balls, repeatedly clearing the boundary with ease.
Phillips finally finished with 76 off 36 balls (4 fours, 6 sixes) before a wide sealed New Zealand’s victory. Ravindra played the winning boundary off Jaskaran Singh as New Zealand reached 176/2 in 15.1 overs.
Related Reads
| Category | Player | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Best Batsman | Glenn Phillips | 76 runs (36 balls, 4×4, 6×6) |
| Best Bowler | Saad Bin Zafar | 2-1-13-1 |
