Canada’s Indian-origin batter Yuvraj Samra created history by becoming the youngest player to score a century at the ICC Men’s T20 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.
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Samra struck 11 fours and 6 sixes to power Canada to 173, setting a new mark as the youngest centurion in the tournament and recording the highest individual score by a batter from an Associate nation.He is also the third Canadian to register a half-century in this edition.The record for the youngest hundred in the T20 World Cup was previously held by Pakistan’s Ahmed Shehzad, who was 22-year-old when he touched the milestone in 2014.After his record-breaking century, Yuvraj Samra said the moment was something he had long imagined and worked towards.“Honestly, I manifested this moment ever since we qualified for the World Cup. Every single day, I dreamed about scoring a hundred on this stage. To do it here, in my first appearance, and as the youngest player in this World Cup – it’s truly a dream come true.” he said. On being compared to Yuvraj Singh, Samra said: “It feels incredible. There are so many emotions right now, I can’t really put them into words. Yuvraj Singh is someone I’ve looked up to since I was a kid, so to even be mentioned in the same breath is special. I just wish my dad was here today watching me from back home – this one’s for him.” he added.Highest individual scores for Associate teams in T20 World Cups:
- 110 – Yuvraj Samra (CAN) vs NZ, Chennai, 2026*
- 94* – Aaron Jones (USA) vs CAN, Grand Prairie, 2024
- 86 – Michael Jones (SCOT) vs IRE, Hobart, 2022
- 84 – George Munsey (SCOT) vs ITA, Kolkata, 2026
- 80* – Andries Gous (USA) vs SA, North Sound, 2024
Samra smashed six sixes and 11 fours in his 65-ball knock, taking full advantage of a depleted New Zealand attack minus Lockie Ferguson (personal leave) and Mitchell Santner (indisposed).He set the tone early, taking on pace spearhead Matt Henry in the opening over with back to back fours.He then shifted gears in the final over of the powerplay, hammering James Neesham for 18 runs.After two dot balls, he unleashed a sequence of 4, 4, 4, 6 — pulling behind square, muscling one over mid-wicket, drilling a straight drive and finishing with a stunning upper-cut over point — to race to 29 off 17 balls.Samra brought up his fifty off just 36 balls and found solid support from skipper Dilpreet Bajwa as the duo stitched together a 116-run opening stand — the highest first-wicket partnership by an Associate team against a Full Member in men’s T20 World Cups.Bajwa was clearly overshadowed and got out for 36 off 39 balls.Samra also had luck on his side, dropped on 91 when Henry failed to hold on at deep extra cover and again on 107 off Neesham.However, New Zealand found some relief in the final three overs, conceding just 23 runs and picking up two wickets to deny Canada a 180-plus total.
