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Canada went into their Group D clash against New Zealand with heavy odds stacked against them. They were looking for their first win of the tournament, while the Kiwis were fighting to secure their spot in the Super 8s.
When Canada batted first, nobody expected a masterclass in power-hitting from a teenager. But Samra, opening the batting, looked completely unfazed by the occasion. Taking on seasoned pacers like Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson, he unleashed a barrage of boundaries. He was particularly brutal in the power play, hitting James Neesham for 18 runs in a single over (4, 4, 4, 6).
He brought up his century in just 58 balls, slashing a slower delivery from Jamieson past short third man. As the ball raced to the boundary, Samra raised his bat to the Canadian dugout while 15,000 fans in Chennai gave him a standing ovation. He eventually finished with a career-best 110 off 65 balls, featuring 11 fours and 6 massive sixes. Although Canada eventually lost the match as New Zealand chased down the 174-run target, Samra was the undeniable star of the night.
You can't write a better script than this. Yuvraj Samra was born on September 29, 2006, in Brampton, Canada. His father, Baljit Singh, emigrated to Canada from Amritsar, Punjab, and was an absolute fanatic of Indian cricket, specifically the legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh.
Baljit made a promise that if he had a son, he would name him after his hero. True to his namesake, young Yuvraj grew up to be a tall, aggressive, left-handed batsman with a penchant for hitting the ball out of the park.
Samra's journey began in the indoor nets of Canada and local leagues like the Toronto District Cricket Association. Knowing that his son needed more exposure, Baljit took him across the globe to train in stronger cricketing environments, including stints in Mohali and Amritsar in India. All those early morning sessions, sacrifices, and international training camps culminated in that magical night in Chennai.
Honestly, I manifested this moment ever since we qualified for the World Cup, Samra said after the match. Yuvraj Singh is someone I’ve looked up to since I was a kid, so to even be mentioned in the same breath is special. I just wish my dad was here today watching me from back home this one’s for him.
Samra didn't just play a great innings; he completely rewrote the T20 World Cup history books. Here is a look at the milestones he achieved in a single match:
Samra’s knock is a massive victory for Associate cricket. It proves that the talent gap between the heavyweights and the emerging nations is closing rapidly. It also guarantees that franchise scouts from the IPL, CPL, and other global T20 leagues will be knocking on his door very soon. A 19-year-old homegrown Canadian talent dominating on a turning Indian pitch is the kind of story that grows the game globally.
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