Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra guide New Zealand to Super Eights

Daily Update, Sports

The Men’sT20 World Cup 2026 saw its second individual century in two days but this time, it came in a loss cause. Canada opener Yuvraj Samra’s 110 off 65 – laced with 11 fours and six sixes, was nearly not enough to help his team post a defenseable total. The rest of the batters managed just 63 more and New Zealand chased it down in the 16th over through a scintillating 146-run association off 72 deliveries for the third wicket. With that, they booked their spot in the Super Eights.

First about the chase. Despite Samra’s ton, the target in front of New Zealand was perhaps under-par for an afternoon match in Chennai. Just two days ago, USA scored 199/6 batting first. In a similar match against UAE, New Zealand chased down 175 in the 16th over with all 10 wickets intact. A familiar script played out on Tuesday afternoon, even as Canada struck twice early. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert started in their typical style, getting to 29/0 in 2 overs.

New Zealand to Super Eights

But left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar put the first spanner in the works by having Seifert trapped at mid-off in the third over. Dilon Heyliger then sent Allen packing. On the first ball of the fourth over, Allen looked to flick a leg side ball but it stopped to touch on the surface and flew off the leading edge. Shivam Sharma moved forward into cover and completed a catch just before the ball hit the ground. It necessary a TV umpire intervention to send Allen on his way. At 30/2, Canada would’ve hoped they could ruffle a few more feathers and cause panic in the New Zealand dugout but Phillips and Ravindra stonewalled those aspirations.

They first dragged the team to 60/2 at the end of the PowerPlay, and kept the fours and sixes coming even through the middle-overs. They maintained the 10-an-over scoring rate to get New Zealand to 106/2 at the halfway stage. Phillips then became New Zealand’s fastest half-century in T20 World Cups – getting there off 22 balls. Canada bowlers just couldn’t stem the flow of boundaries as Ravindra dug in too. By the 12th over, the two had their 100-run stand and on the first ball of the 15th, Ravindra reached his fifty with a six. Phillips and Ravindra smashed eight fours and nine sixes between themselves and wrapped up the chase midway through the 16th over.

Before this phase of play where they were outclassed, Canada enjoyed an afternoon filled with hope as 19-year-old Samra led the way for them. He included an opening partnership of 116 runs with Dilpreet Bajwa, who contributed just 36 off 39 deliveries in it. Samra was the aggressor early as he went 4 4 4 6 against James Neesham in the sixth over.

New Zealand pulled things back in the middle overs a bit but Samra then decimated Cole McConchie in the 13th over, hitting him for two sixes and a four. Kyle Jamieson broke the opening partnership with the wicket of Bajwa, but Canada managed to hit 57 runs off the last six overs. Samra did a lot of the hitting and became the youngest T20 World Cup centenary in the 17th over, getting there off just 58 deliveries. Matt Henry, Neesham and Jacob Duffy struck at the death and Canada pushed to 173/4, which proved insufficient in the end.

Canada won the toss and elected to bat first against New Zealand in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group D match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday

Canada won the toss and was elected to bat first against New Zealand in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group D match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday

Sri Lanka has also sealed its place in the next round with a victory over Australia in Kandy, joining the West Indies and India, South Africa and England.

Australia, meanwhile, is staring at a group-stage exit. It now needs a big win against Oman and other results to fall in his favour.

Zimbabwe will go through if it beats Ireland on Tuesday.

Canada’s Indian-origin batter Yuvraj Samra created history by becoming the youngest player to score a century at the ICC Men’sT20 World Cup, blasting a career-best 110 off 65 balls against New Zealand cricket team in a Group D match, at 19 years and 141 days.
The youngster, who was named after Indian swashbuckler Yuvraj Singh by his cricket fan father Baljit Samra, was playing in only his 19th T20 International since making his debut in March last year.

CHENNAI:

Glenn Phillips was back at his best blasting the fastest fifty for New Zealand in T20 World Cup history as he and Rachin Ravindra struck fluent half-centuries to power them to an eight-wicket win over Canada and marked their Super 8s berth from Group D, here on Tuesday.(Edited)Restore original

In a must-win contest for both teams, Canada, opting to bat, were powered by Yuvraj Samra’s record-breaking 110 — the youngest century-maker in T20 World Cup history — but the 146-run unbroken Rachin-Phillips stand and an undisciplined bowling effort ultimately overshadowed the landmark knock.

Chasing 174, New Zealand surrounded on Rachin and Phillips’ stand that came off just 73 balls, overhauling the target in 15.1 overs.

Phillips remained unbeaten on 76 from 36 balls with six sixes and four fours, while Rachin was 59 not out from 39 balls (4×4, 3×6) in their statement win.

The Kiwis ended their league campaign with six points and a net run rate of 1.227.