Watch: Yuvraj Samra scripts history with stunning ton vs New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2026

In the 31st match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Canada are playing against New Zealand at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. While this was a crucial encounter for both teams, Canada needed the victory to stay alive in the tournament, as they had already lost two consecutive matches.

But they did learn from the previous games and put up a great performance with the bat in the first innings. Openers Yuvraj Samra and Dilpreet Bajwa (36) formed a 116-run partnership, setting the base for the middle-order batters. They played some fearless cricket and put pressure on the New Zealand bowlers.

But it was Yuvraj's century that was the highlight of the match. He slammed 110 off 65 balls, including 11 boundaries and six sixes. He dominated the bowlers for a long time before getting dismissed against Jacob Duffy. By the time he was out, Canada had already put up a good total on the board. At the end, they scored 173 runs in the first innings. 

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New Zealand bowlers weren't impressive in the game as they failed to get the early breakthroughs that would have helped them keep the scores under 150. With the century, Yuvraj became the first associate player to slam a century in T20 World Cup history. 

New Zealand beat Canada, qualify for Super 8

The New Zealand cricket team showcased great batting prowess in today's match against Canada in Chennai. While chasing 175 runs, they lost a few wickets in the early overs but maintained their calm and won the game by eight wickets.

The chase was easy as Glenn Phillips slammed an unbeaten 76 off 36 balls, including four boundaries and six sixes, while Rachin Ravindra scored 59 off 39 balls, hitting four boundaries and three sixes. It was a convincing victory for New Zealand as they stormed off to the Super 8 stage along with South Africa.

In Group D, the rest of the teams have now been eliminated. While Yuvraj's century went in vain, it was a good learning lesson for Canada and other teams that played their first tournament this year.

Unlike the cricket giants, the associate nation cricketers do not have proper infrastructure to play cricket. Despite that, they have managed to come to this stage that speaks volumes about their performance and grit.