CHENNAI: New Zealand's top-order batters Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips scored unbeaten half-centuries to guide their team to an eight-wicket win over Canada in a T20 World Cup Group D match here on Tuesday.
After young Canadian opener Yuvraj Samra played a defiant 110 off 65 balls, featuring 11 boundaries and six sixes to help his side post a challenging 173 for 4, New Zealand's experienced batters made chasing the target look easy.
They overhauled it in 15.1 overs, with Ravindra scoring an unbeaten 59 runs off 39 balls and Phillips contributing 77 not out off 36 balls.
Their partnership yielded 146 runs for the third wicket.
Earlier, 19-year-old Samra blazed 110, while skipper Dilpreet Bajwa added 36, forging a 116-run opening stand that kept the Kiwi bowlers at bay.
The 19-year-old Samra became the youngest batter to score a hundred in T20 World Cup history.
Brief scores: Canada 173 for 4 in 20 overs (Yuvraj Samra 110, Dilpreet Bajwa 36; Kyle Jamieson 1/41).
New Zealand 176 for 2 in 15.1 overs (Rachin Ravindra 59 not out, Glenn Phillips 76 not out).