Yuvraj Samra becomes the youngest to score a ton in T20 World Cups (Source: AFP & X)
A much-experienced New Zealand are taking on Canada in a crucial Group D match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Winning the toss, the Canadian captain chose to bat first, with the openers, Yuvraj Samra and Navneet Dhaliwal, taking on the Kiwi bowlers with almight.
Especially, the teenager, Yuvraj Samra, who in the pursuit became the youngest batter to score a century in the Men's T20 World Cup, achieving the feat at just 19 years and 141 days during the ongoing 2026 tournament.
Canada’s Yuvraj Samra sets the stage of fire during CAN vs NZ encounter
Sure, the T20 World Cup 2026 has as many as 20 nations participating, with a lot of associate nations making it to the biggest stage through consistent performances. In countries where cricket isn’t even the number one choice as a sport, players like Yuvraj Samra’s amusing story have surfaced after he smashed the New Zealand bowlers all over the park to complete his maiden T20 World Cup ton in just 58 balls.
Interestingly, the 19-year-old Samra’s cricket career has been deeply influenced by his family’s love and dedication to the sport, especially his father Baljit Samra’s passion for the game of cricket.
Yuvraj Samra’s Yuvraj Singh connection
It is worth noting that Yuvraj Samra was named after the legendary Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh. A huge fan of the six-hitting machine, Samra’s father always encouraged him to copy the elder Yuvraj and take inspiration from his cricketing journey. Though the 19-year-old wishes to be his ‘own version’, the Yuvraj Singh connection has been a constant in his life.
Apart from that, as a child, Yuvraj Samra fondly followed his father to watch him play cricket. Noticing the interest, senior Samra and Yuvraj’s mother made immense sacrifices to foster their son’s love of cricket.
"I used to sleep with my mom when I was really little," the tall left-hander told ESPNcricinfo. "So like I'll see him wake up - like he wouldn't take me to the games - I'll wake up and be like, where are you going? And I'll just be like I want to come too! I want to come too! Then he'll take me, and then when they're batting I'll stay when they're about a bowl. I'll leave."
Notably, his mother quit her job and became a stay-at-home mother to support her son as much as possible, taking him to practice and every game.
Yuvraj Samra’s stats in T20Is so far
Indeed, Yuvraj’s living the life his father must have wished for and his mother prayed for. Samra holds the Canadian record for the fastest fifty, which he achieved in just 15 balls. He reached this milestone in a match against the Bahamas, less than a year before the reporting. This achievement serves as a notable connection to his namesake, Yuvraj Singh, who famously recorded a 12-ball fifty during the inaugural T20 World Cup against England.
Making his debut on March 05, 2025, against the Netherlands in an abandoned match, the Canadian batter has played 19 T20 internationals so far, amassing a World Cup century and 3 fifties.
At just 19, Yuvraj Samra has plenty of time to prove his mettle at the biggest stage. And he continues to play like this, sure, his goal to be "the first Canadians to play almost all the leagues around the world" will soon be true.
