New Zealand march into Super 8s after eight-wicket win over Canada in Chennai
New Zealand progressed to the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup with a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Canada in Chennai on Tuesday (ET), overcoming a late blow when captain Mitchell Santner was ruled out through sudden illness. The result confirmed New Zealand’s place in the next phase and ended Canada’s brief hopes of progression.
Santner sidelined after sudden illness, late changes made
New Zealand lost their skipper shortly before the match after he fell ill following a questionable pre-match meal. The team moved quickly to reshuffle, bringing in Cole McConchie to fill the spin-allrounder role while Kyle Jamieson came into the side for a fast-bowling slot vacated by a player who returned home for the birth of his first child and is expected to rejoin the squad for the Super 8s.
Despite the disruption, the visitors showed composure in the field and with the bat. The leadership baton was picked up on the day and the playing group rallied around a straightforward game plan: bowl tightly, chase sensibly and avoid unnecessary risks.
Samra’s century gives Canada a competitive total, but chase controlled by Ravindra and Phillips
Canada posted a respectable 173 for 4 after electing to bat first, largely due to an outstanding century from opener Yuvraj Samra. His 110 was the stand-out batting performance of the match and made him the second centurion of the tournament so far, following an earlier hundred by another tournament batter.
The Canadian innings provided momentum and an attacking platform, but New Zealand’s bowlers struck in key moments to prevent the score from ballooning. Early dismissals of Tim Seifert and Finn Allen during the chase raised brief nerves among supporters, but Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips steadied the ship with composed, unbeaten half-centuries that erased any tension.
Ravindra and Phillips knuckled down when needed and accelerated when the time was right, steering New Zealand home with just under five overs to spare. The partnership underscored New Zealand’s depth and the ability of their middle order to close out games under pressure.
Implications for the Super 8s and remaining group permutations
With this victory New Zealand move through to the Super 8s, where they are drawn to meet a high-profile opponent in Sri Lanka next week. The win also keeps their campaign momentum intact after previous group wins over Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates and a heavier defeat to South Africa earlier in the pool phase.
For Canada, the loss confirmed elimination from the tournament after earlier setbacks. The performance, highlighted by Samra’s century, will nonetheless offer encouragement that they can produce match-winning contributions on the big stage even if consistency remains a work in progress.
Elsewhere in the group stages, teams are still fighting to settle standings and decide who joins the Super 8s. A couple of late fixtures could still produce dramatic shifts in qualification scenarios, including a match that has the potential to upend a previously favoured team’s hopes of progressing beyond the opening round. Another side that has struggled in this phase concludes its campaign after three defeats, bringing an end to that team’s tournament for now.
New Zealand’s focus now turns to recovery and preparation ahead of their Super 8s assignment. The squad will monitor the fitness of players who missed this match and aim to hit the ground running in Sri Lanka, where the intensity and stakes rise sharply.
