Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra guide New Zealand to Super Eights

New Zealand secured their place in the Super Eights with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Canada, chasing down a target of 174 in just 15.1 overs.

The chase was anchored by a scintillating 146-run partnership off 72 balls for the third wicket between Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra. Despite early setbacks—with Tim Seifert and Finn Allen falling to leave New Zealand at 30/2—the pair launched a relentless assault.

They dragged the team to 60/2 by the end of the PowerPlay and maintained a scoring rate of 10 runs per over, reaching 106/2 at the halfway stage. Phillips became New Zealand's fastest half-centurion in T20 World Cups, reaching the mark off just 22 balls. Ravindra provided steadfast support, bringing up his own fifty with a six in the 15th over. Between them, they smashed eight fours and nine sixes, wrapping up the chase midway through the 16th over.

Earlier, Canada's innings was dominated by a magnificent century from 19-year-old opener Yuvraj Samra. His 110 off 65 balls, featuring 11 fours and six sixes, propelled Canada to 173/4. He shared an opening stand of 116 with Dilpreet Bajwa (36 off 39) and became the youngest centurion in T20 World Cup history, reaching his hundred in just 58 deliveries. Despite Samra's heroics, the rest of the batting lineup managed only 63 additional runs, leaving the total ultimately insufficient.

Brief Scores:
Canada 173/4 in 20 overs (Yuvraj Samra 110; Jacob Duffy 1-25) lost to New Zealand 176/2 in 15.1 overs (Glenn Phillips 76*, Rachin Ravindra 59*) by 8 wickets.