Canada's Yuvraj Samra made history at the T20 World Cup, becoming the first associate player to score a century and the youngest centurion in the tournament's history. Despite his remarkable achievement, Canada suffered an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of New Zealand, who secured their place in the Super 8 phase. Samra's innings of 110 runs off 65 balls, including 11 fours and six sixes, helped Canada post a formidable total of 173-4. Born in Brampton, Ontario, the teenager surpassed the previous highest score by an associate player, set by Aaron Jones of the USA at the last World Cup. At just 19 years and 141 days, Samra broke the record for the youngest T20 World Cup centurion, previously held by Pakistan's Ahmed Shehzad. His dismissal by Jacob Duffy, caught in the deep by Glenn Phillips, was met with a standing ovation at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Samra expressed his dream of achieving this milestone since Canada's World Cup qualification, stating, 'I manifested this moment ever since we qualified for the World Cup. Every single day, I dreamed about scoring a hundred on this stage.' Canada's captain, Dilpreet Bajwa, praised Samra's performance, saying, 'Hats off to Yuvraj, he finished with a hundred in this match and it's a proud moment for him and all Canadians.' New Zealand's bowlers, including Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Jimmy Neesham, and Duffy, claimed one wicket each. The Kiwis had a brief wobble early in their chase, losing openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen in quick succession, slipping to 30-2. However, Rachin Ravindra and Phillips formed an unbroken 146-run stand for the third wicket, securing their victory with 29 balls to spare. Phillips' 76 not out and Ravindra's 59 not out contributed significantly to New Zealand's triumph, eliminating Canada, the UAE, and Afghanistan from the tournament.
