Chandigarh, Feb. 18 -- When Yuvraj Singh burst onto the international scene in 2000, he ignited the cricketing dreams of countless young fans. Among them was Baljit "Bally" Samra, a cricket-obsessed boy from Amritsar who idolised the flamboyant left-hander. Though Baljit's playing ambitions faded and he moved to Canada in pursuit of business success, his passion for cricket never dimmed. When his son was born in 2006, he named him Yuvraj Samra as a tribute to his hero. And with a pledge to help his own Yuvraj realise a dream that had remained unfulfilled. Two decades on, that promise found its moment under the Chennai sun. At just 19, the Canada opening batter etched his name in cricket history at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, becoming the youngest centurion in a men's T20 World Cup in the Group D clash against New Zealand. His sparkling 65-ball 110, studded with 11 fours and six sixes, came in a losing cause as the Kiwis romped to an eight-wicket victory, but Samra's fearless stroke play commanded global cricket's attention. Samra's was only the second century in this World Cup, after Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka ended the wait with a match-winning 100* against Australia at Pallekele on Monday night. Samra showed great composure despite playing for an associate nation against an established opponent. The composure was moulded through years of preparation and sacrifice. His father, a real estate agent and restaurateur in Brampton, Ontario made cricket the focus of his son's upbringing. From indoor nets in Canada to competitive stints in India, USA and the Caribbean, Baljit ensured his son got exposure across conditions and cultures. Samra's journey began under Amarinder Bhinder, a former Punjab cricketer based in Toronto. Since 2020, former Punjab medium-pacer Gagandeep Singh, based in Waterloo, Ontario, has worked with the youngster. "We trained mostly indoors in Canada, but soon realised he needed exposure in stronger cricketing environments. Bally took him across countries, he even trained in Mohali in 2024," said Gagandeep, a Canadian citizen now and senior Punjab team's bowling coach this season. Brief scores: Canada 173/4 (Yuvraj Samra 110); New Zealand 176/2 in 15.1 ovrs (Rachin Ravindra 59*, Glenn Phillips 76*). NZ won by eight wickets....