T20 World Cup 2026 - Know Your Player, Yuvraj Singh Samra

T20 World Cup 2026 - Know Your Player, Yuvraj Singh Samra

The T20 World Cup 2026 has (Get the Indian Jersey) as many as 20 teams participating and a lot of associate nations through consistent performances have made their way into the mega event. In countries where cricket isn't number one choice, plenty of amusing stories have surfaced. One such story is of a certain Yuvraj Singh Samra. A 19-year-old representing Canada in the 2026 edition. Samra's cricket career has been deeply influenced by his family's dedication and his father's passion for the sport.

Samra's father, Baljit Samra, named him after the legendary Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh. This connection is a constant theme in his career, his father often encourages him to copy the elder Yuvraj's style, though Samra strives to be his "own version".

As a young child, Samra would follow his father to his cricket matches. His parents made significant sacrifices to foster his talent; most notably, his mother quit her job at a car parts manufacturing plant to support him "24x7," taking him to every practice and game.

To maintain a demanding routine of hitting 500 balls a week, Samra was home-schooled through grades 11 and 12. This allowed him to focus entirely on his proper cricketing journey. Samra and his father have a tradition of speaking after every game or practice to discuss his performance. Baljit holds high aspirations for his son, specifically dreaming of him playing in the IPL for the Mumbai Indians. When Samra was 13, a coach introduced his father to the Patiala Shahi Cricket Club, which played a pivotal role in shaping his career by taking him to tournaments and helping him "come out of his shell".

Yuvraj Samra holds the Canadian record for the fastest fifty, which he achieved in just 15 balls. He reached this milestone in a match against the Bahamas less than a year prior to the reporting. This achievement serves as a notable connection to his namesake, Yuvraj Singh, who famously recorded a 12-ball fifty during the inaugural T20 World Cup against England.

Samra's numbers in T20Is: Matches: 16, Runs: 442, Average: 36.83, S/R: 160.72, 50s: 3

How many runs do you think will the young Canadian score in the T20 World Cup 2026? Canada are part of Group 'D'eath and it'll be interesting to see if they can upset a big team from that group.