Who is Yuvraj Samra? 19-year-old Canada batter who smashed sensational century vs New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2026
Published - 17 Feb 2026, 12:46 PM | Updated - 17 Feb 2026, 11:34 PM
Canada cricketer Yuvraj Samra, 19, produced a stunning batting display during the ongoing match against New Zealand in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The left-handed batter tore into a star-studded New Zealand bowling attack at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday, February 17.
Yuvraj helped Canada to a total of 173/4 after they chose to bat first in a must-win match against New Zealand. The young batter smashed 110 off 65 balls, hitting 11 fours and six sixes, before falling in the final over. Jacob Duffy was the most economical New Zealand bowler, giving away just 25 runs in his four overs.
Yuvraj Samra Scripts History With Record-Breaking T20 World Cup Century
Yuvraj Samra created history by smashing a stunning 58-ball century. The 19-year-old reached the landmark on the final ball of the 17th over, registering his maiden T20I hundred and becoming Canada’s first centurion in T20 World Cup history.
Samra also became the first batter from an Associate nation to score a century in a men’s T20 World Cup. At 19 years and 141 days, he turned into the youngest player to score a 50-plus in the tournament, surpassing Junaid Siddique (19 years, 325 days).
His fearless strokeplay against a strong New Zealand bowling attack stole the spotlight, producing one of the most memorable individual performances of the tournament so far.
Records Broken by Yuvraj Samra in the T20 World Cup 2026 Clash vs New Zealand
Youngest Batters to Score Hundreds in T20 Internationals:
| Age | Player | Team | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18y 280d | Gustav McKeon | France | Switzerland | Vantaa | 2022 |
| 19y 30d | Selim Salau | Nigeria | Ivory Coast | Abuja | 2024 |
| 19y 141d | Yuvraj Samra | Canada | New Zealand | Chennai | 2026 (Today*) |
| 19y 206d | Kushal Malla | Nepal | Mongolia | Hangzhou | 2023 |
| 19y 210d | Braithyn Pecic | Serbia | Slovenia | Belgrade | 2025 |
| Youngest Batters to Score Hundreds at Men’s World Cups (ODI & T20) | |||
| Player | Age | Opponent | Year |
| Yuvraj Samra | 19y 141d | vs NZ | 2026 |
| Paul Stirling | 19y 141d | vs NETH | 2011 |
| Ricky Ponting | 21y 76d | vs WI | 1996 |
Yuvraj Samra Builds His Own Path After Being Named After Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Samra’s cricket journey began with his name. His father, Baljit Samra, named him after Indian legend Yuvraj Singh, who retired from international cricket and the IPL in 2019. Baljit admired Yuvraj’s batting and hoped his son would follow a similar path.
Samra has met Yuvraj Singh twice. The first meeting came in 2019 when Yuvraj played for Toronto Nationals. They met again during the Super 60 tournament in 2025. Samra enjoys watching Yuvraj bat but wants to create his own style rather than copy anyone.
In October 2023, Samra was still playing age-group cricket. By February 2024, he was touring with Canada’s senior team. He went on to score a century in just his second 50-over match.
Yuvraj Singh made his India debut at the age of 18 and famously smashed a 12-ball fifty in the first T20 World Cup. While Yuvraj competed at a much higher level, Samra is carving out a promising journey of his own.
Also read: Mohammed Shami SLAPS Ajit Agarkar with fiery 8-wicket haul in Ranji Trophy semi-final
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Yuvraj Samra Yuvraj Singh Canada National Cricket Team New Zealand National Cricket Team Canada vs New Zealand New Zealand vs Canada ICC T20 World CupAbout the Author
Sai Vaitla is an author at Cricketaddictor and he has been working since September 2022. Sai Vaitla...