(ESPNCRICINFO) – Yuvraj Samra’s record-breaking hundred went in vain as New Zealand beat Canada by eight wickets in Chennai to qualify for the Super Eight stage of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Batting first, Canada posted a competitive 173 for 4, thanks to Samra’s 110 off 65 balls, the highest score by an Associate batter against a Full Member in the tournament’s history. At 19 years and 141 days, the left-hand opener also became the youngest to cross 50 in a men’s T20 World Cup match.
Canada’s bowlers and fielders, though, let them down. They did send back Tim Seifert and Finn Allen inside the first four overs, but Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra snatched the game away from them and ran away with it.
Phillips smashed 76 not out off 36 balls and Ravindra 59 not out off 39. The two added 146 off just 73 balls for the third wicket and took New Zealand home with 4.5 overs to spare.
Matt Henry started the proceedings with four dots to Samra but the opener got going with back-to-back fours off the last two deliveries. Samra faced only five balls in the next four overs but took James Neesham down in the final over of the powerplay. With Neesham operating from around the wicket, he pulled to fine leg, muscled over midwicket, drilled down the ground, and slashed over the covers after coming down the ground. The first three went for fours, the last carried all the way.
Samra kept the scoreboard ticking even after the powerplay. He smashed Kyle Jamieson’s slower ball through extra cover before pulling Cole McConchie for a flat six. Soon, he reached his fifty, off 36 balls.
New Zealand were without Lockie Ferguson and Mitchell Santner. Ferguson has returned home for the birth of his first child and Santner was ruled out because of a “dodgy burger”. In their absence, New Zealand’s bowling attack looked toothless, and Samra took full advantage of it. He started the 13th over by smashing McConchie for 6, 6, 4. Dilpreet Bajwa and he added 116 in 14 overs for the first wicket; Bajwa’s contribution was only 36 off 39 balls.
Samra brought up his hundred off 58 balls, getting there with a toe-ended four past short third. He had a reprieve on 103 when Neesham dropped him at long-on off Henry. The ball burst through Neesham’s hands and went for four. Samra was eventually dismissed in the final over, caught at deep-backward square-leg by Phillips on the second attempt.