Finn Allen lit up IPL 2026 with a breathtaking century as Kolkata Knight Riders dismantled Delhi Capitals by eight wickets. Chasing 143, the New Zealand batter remained unbeaten on 100 off 47 deliveries, striking five boundaries and clearing the ropes 10 times, wrapping up the job in 14.2 overs.
Key takeaways
- KKR chased down 143 against Delhi Capitals with eight wickets in hand.
- Finn Allen finished unbeaten on 100 from 47 balls, including five fours and 10 sixes.
- The chase was completed in 14.2 overs, making the target look far smaller than it was.
- Allen became the first New Zealand batter to record three T20 centuries in a single calendar year.
- Kolkata’s bowling restricted Delhi to 142/8 in 20 overs on a challenging pitch.
Allen’s historic century in IPL 2026
Allen’s 100 not out wasn’t just a match-winning knock—it also set a milestone. He became the first batter from New Zealand to reach three T20 centuries within the same calendar year. Earlier in the season, he had already struck a century for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League, and he added another hundred against South Africa during the T20 World Cup semifinal. That semifinal effort came off just 33 balls and was the quickest century ever across ODI and T20 World Cup formats taken together.
In IPL 2026, Allen has now joined an elite group of Kiwi century-makers. He is the second New Zealand batter after Brendon McCullum to register an IPL century, and his hundred also marked the fourth time a KKR batter has reached three figures in the competition. The earlier KKR centurions were McCullum, Venkatesh Iyer, and Sunil Narine.
How KKR set up the chase
Before Allen’s fireworks, KKR’s bowlers shaped the contest on a surface that offered difficulty. Delhi Capitals began brightly thanks to Pathum Nissanka, who struck a quick 50 off 29 balls. However, the innings lost momentum during the middle overs, with KKR’s spin unit tightening the screws and taking wickets at regular intervals.
The bowling charge was driven by Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, and Kartik Tyagi. Despite the early push from Nissanka, Delhi could only reach 142/8 in their 20-over allocation, with Ashutosh Sharma contributing 39 as late resistance.
Impact Substitute role and chase control
KKR did lose two wickets early in the run chase, but once Allen settled, the match tilted decisively. Notably, he played the fixture as an Impact Substitute for Varun Chakravarthy. From there, his clean striking made the chase appear routine, with Delhi’s bowlers struggling to find an answer to his aggressive strokeplay.
Allen’s 2026 form continues to soar
Allen has now amassed 905 T20 runs this year at a strike rate close to 195, underlining the extraordinary rhythm he has carried into IPL 2026.
