Historic Century by Young Samra in T20 World Clash; New Zealand Cruises to Super Eights

In a thrilling match at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, New Zealand clinched their Super 8 berth by defeating Canada with an eight-wicket victory at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium. New Zealand's stand-in captain, Daryll Mitchell, commended Canada's 19-year-old opener, Yuvraj Samra, who shattered records by becoming the youngest player to score a century in a T20 World Cup match.

Samra's impressive innings of 110 runs off 65 balls, featuring 11 fours and six sixes, set a formidable target of 174 runs for New Zealand. In response, Glenn Phillips delivered a match-winning performance with 76 runs off 36 balls, supported by Rachin Ravindra's 59 off 39 balls, leading New Zealand to victory in their fourth group stage match.

Reflecting on the game, Mitchell applauded Samra's performance, stating, "He played beautifully," and expressed his appreciation for the pitch conditions in Chennai. Excited about the upcoming Super 8 stage in Colombo, Mitchell also praised head coach Stephen Fleming while Phillips, named player of the match, highlighted sticking to his batting processes for a successful chase.