19-year-old Yuvraj Samra became the youngest player to score T20 World Cup century
Canada batter Yuvraj Samra’s exhilarating century has proved in vain as New Zealand advanced to cricket’s T20 World Cup Super 8s with an eight-wicket win.
New Zealand’s resounding victory on Tuesday knocked 2024 semi-finalist Afghanistan out of the tournament, with the Black Caps joining England, South Africa, West Indies, India and Sri Lanka in the next round.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Group B game against Ireland at Pallekele was washed out later on Tuesday, eliminating Australia, who needed an Ireland win to survive after their loss to Sri Lanka a day earlier.
On a perfect batting wicket on Tuesday, Glenn Phillips (76 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (59 not out) led New Zealand to 2-176 in 15.1 overs as the Black Caps claimed their third win in Group D.
Samra’s 110 off 65 balls, which included six sixes and 11 fours, had earlier guided Canada to 4-173 after captain Dilpreet Bajwa won the toss and elected to bat.
The 19-year-old Samra, who caught the eye last year when he smashed a 15-ball half century against Bahamas, became the first batter from an associate country to score a hundred at the T20 World Cup.
“I manifested this moment ever since we qualified for the World Cup. Every single day I dreamed about scoring a hundred on this stage,” he said.
“To do it here … as the youngest player in this World Cup – it’s truly a dream come true.”
Bajwa made 36 off 39 balls and together with Samra put on 116 for the first wicket.
New Zealand struggled to stem the flow of runs and felt the absence of captain Mitchell Santner, who was ruled out of the game due to a “dodgy burger” on Monday night, and fast bowler Lockie Ferguson.
Ferguson is on paternity leave but is expected to re-join the team for the Super 8s.
Samra was dropped, but not before he had raised his century off 58 deliveries, when the ball burst through the hands of James Neesham at long-off.
His belligerent knock ended in the final over when Phillips caught him at deep backward square leg at the second attempt.
When it came to New Zealand’s reply, Finn Allen and Tim Seifert fell inside four balls in the power play before Phillips and Ravindra shared an electrifying 146-run partnership in just 12 overs.
