Phillips and Ravindra Power New Zealand into Super Eights with Dominant Win Over Canada

Chennai, Feb 2026 : A blistering half-century from Glenn Phillips and a calm, assured innings by Rachin Ravindra propelled New Zealand into the Super Eights with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Canada at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Chasing a competitive target of 174, New Zealand overcame an early stumble to race to 176/2 in just 15.1 overs, finishing the contest with nearly five overs to spare. The emphatic victory not only sealed qualification for the Super Eights but also marked a strong response after the Black Caps’ earlier defeat to South Africa in the group stage.

Earlier in the evening, Canada produced one of the most memorable batting performances of the tournament, driven by a sensational century from 19-year-old Yuvraj Samra. The young batter smashed a magnificent 110 off 58 balls, registering the first-ever century by a player from an Associate nation in T20 World Cup history. Samra’s innings accounted for an astonishing 63.6 per cent of Canada’s total, placing it among the most dominant individual contributions the tournament has seen.

Samra combined power with composure, unfurling an array of clean strokes against both pace and spin. He found able support from captain Dilpreet Bajwa, who contributed a steady 36, as Canada built momentum through the middle overs. Despite late breakthroughs from New Zealand pacers Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson, Canada finished strongly on 173/4 — a total that promised a competitive contest.

New Zealand’s chase began at a frenetic pace with Finn Allen launching an early assault, smashing 21 off just eight balls. However, Canada struck back quickly. Left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar delivered a wicket-maiden by removing Tim Seifert, and seamer Dilon Heyliger dismissed Allen soon after, reducing New Zealand to 30/2 within the first four overs.

From that point on, the match tilted decisively in New Zealand’s favour. Ravindra, who came into the game under scrutiny for his recent form, played a mature innings, mixing caution with crisp strokeplay to stabilise the chase. He rotated the strike efficiently and punished loose deliveries from Bajwa and Jaskaran Singh to keep the required rate in check.

At the other end, Phillips launched a breathtaking counterattack. The aggressive right-hander tore into the Canadian bowling, racing to a 22-ball half-century — the fastest by a New Zealand batter in T20 World Cup history. His innings featured towering sixes and audacious strokeplay, including a spectacular switch-hit maximum off Saad Bin Zafar that brought the Chennai crowd to its feet.

The duo stitched together a match-winning partnership of over 100 runs, reducing the asking rate to under four an over by the 13th over. Phillips finished unbeaten on 76 off 36 balls, showcasing raw power and innovation, while Ravindra brought up his half-century with a slog-swept six over deep mid-wicket and remained not out on 59.

Canada’s bowlers struggled to stem the flow of runs as missed chances and inconsistent lines compounded their difficulties. When Jaskaran Singh returned for the 16th over, the outcome was all but sealed. Ravindra fittingly finished the match by pulling a slower delivery to the boundary, completing a clinical chase.

The victory made New Zealand the sixth team to qualify for the Super Eights, joining West Indies, South Africa, India, England, and Sri Lanka. While Samra’s heroics ensured Canada left a lasting impression, it was New Zealand’s ruthless middle-order assault that delivered the final statement — a reminder of their firepower as the tournament moves into its decisive phase.

Brief Scores:
Canada 173/4 in 20 overs (Yuvraj Samra 110, Dilpreet Bajwa 36; Jacob Duffy 1/25, Matt Henry 1/28) lost to New Zealand 176/2 in 15.1 overs (Glenn Phillips 76*, Rachin Ravindra 59*; Saad Bin Zafar 1/29, Dilon Heyliger 1/42) by eight wickets.