In a breathtaking display of raw power and clinical batting, Finn Allen etched his name into the history books of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 by smashing an unbeaten 100 off just 47 balls – a knock decorated with 10 massive sixes. In last night’s encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) completely dismantled the Delhi Capitals (DC) with a dominant 8-wicket victory while chasing a modest target of 143.
Finn Allen’s six-hitting masterclass didn’t just secure KKR’s fourth consecutive win; it also mathematically pushed DC to the brink of elimination and vaulted KKR into the seventh spot on the points table. This maiden IPL century kept Kolkata’s playoff hopes alive and placed Allen alongside some of the franchise’s greatest legends. While the DC bowlers appeared helpless against his onslaught, the night belonged solely to the 27-year-old, whose ton stands as one of the most dominant individual performances of the season.
Finn Allen’s onslaught & KKR’s near-perfect game
After winning the toss and electing to field first, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane correctly identified the tacky nature of the Arun Jaitley Stadium surface. The victory was built on the back of a disciplined bowling performance; the KKR trio of Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakravarthy combined for 12 overs of absolute control, conceding only 76 runs and claiming three crucial wickets. Although the pitch appeared to grip and turn during Delhi’s innings, Finn Allen batted as if he were on an entirely different surface.
Allen began his knock cautiously, scoring 20 runs off his first 18 deliveries, before shifting gears dramatically to dismantle the DC bowling unit. He finished with 10 towering sixes and five boundaries, operating at a strike rate of 212.77. Any lingering hopes DC held were brutally shattered by his fearless counter-attack; Allen showed intent from the opening over, immediately putting the bowlers under pressure.
What made the innings special was not just the raw brutality of the hitting, but the control and clarity of his chase. The opener maintained an extraordinary balance between aggression and shot selection, punishing loose balls while rotating the strike efficiently. This century marked a historic milestone for New Zealand cricket, as Allen became the first Kiwi to register three T20 hundreds in a single calendar year. Reaching the mark in just 47 deliveries, it stands as one of the finest innings produced by a KKR batter in recent memory.