New Zealand beat Canada by 8 wickets. [Source - @associatechrons/X/AFP Photos]New Zealand sealed their Super 8 spot with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Canada in their final group-stage match of the T20 World Cup 2026 on Tuesday, February 17. Delivering a clinical all-round performance, the Black Caps outclassed Canada at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.Here, we take a look at the complete highlights of the T20 World Cup 2026 clash between New Zealand and Canada, as the action unfolded in Chennai.Canada Start Positively After Opting to Bat First in ChennaiCanada chose to bat first and made a strong start, reaching 50 runs without losing a wicket in the powerplay. Nineteen-year-old Yuvraj Samra attacked from the first over, hitting regular boundaries and putting pressure on the New Zealand bowlers, while captain Dilpreet Bajwa had a watchful start to his innings at the other end. Notably, New Zealand bowled tight for most of the powerplay after the first over, not giving away too many easy runs. But in the last over, Samra changed gears and smashed 18 runs off James Neesham. That big over helped Canada finish the powerplay on a high and take early control. The Kiwis are known for taking early wickets, but that has been a concern in this T20 World Cup. They have taken only four wickets in four matches in the powerplay, at an average of just 56.75. Canada made full use of it, losing no wickets inside the first six overs this time. Yuvraj Samra's Record Century powers Canada to a Formidable TotalSearching for their first wicket, New Zealand brought on Cole McConchie and Glenn Phillips after the powerplay, and the move worked in slowing things down. They controlled the scoring rate through the middle-overs before Yuvraj Samra decided to attack again after his half-century and shifted momentum back towards Canada. While Samra played with freedom to keep Canada on track, captain Dilpreet Bajwa found it hard to speed up. His innings never really got going, and he was eventually out for 36 off 39 balls. With all 10 wickets still in hand and big hitters yet to come, Canada needed more intent from their skipper. Samra, however, kept going strong and brought up a brilliant century, becoming the youngest player to score a hundred in T20 World Cup history. New Zealand responded well at the death, conceding just 23 runs in the last three overs to stay in the contest despite Canada’s strong batting effort. Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips Guide New Zealand to Comfortable Chase Chasing 174, New Zealand lost both openers early. Finn Allen made a quick 21 off 8 before falling to Dilon Heyliger, while Tim Seifert was dismissed cheaply by Saad Bin Zafar. Despite the early setbacks, the Kiwis recovered to reach 60 for 2 at the end of six overs. Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips then took control of the chase as the pair added a massive unbeaten 146-run partnership and never allowed Canada back into the game. Phillips was outstanding, smashing an unbeaten 76 off 34 balls at a strike rate of over 211. Ravindra, on the other end, provided perfect support with a much needed 59 off 39 balls, looking confident at the crease. Canada tried different bowling options, but nothing worked. Their bowlers could not match the strong batting effort, as New Zealand sealed an easy win with 29 balls remaining.
