Finn Allen Makes History with T20 Century for KKR in IPL
Finn Allen's Historic Performance
New Delhi [India] - On May 8, New Zealand's Finn Allen achieved a remarkable feat by scoring a match-winning century for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Delhi Capitals (DC), becoming the first New Zealander to hit three T20 centuries within a single calendar year.
In the IPL match against DC, Allen dominated the modest target of 143 runs, finishing with an impressive 100 not out off just 47 deliveries, which included five fours and ten sixes, resulting in a strike rate of 212.77. He is now the second Kiwi, following Brendon McCullum, to score a century in the IPL, with McCullum's notable 158* in the inaugural match of the tournament back in 2008.
Prior to this, Allen had already made headlines with a 53-ball century for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League and a record-breaking 33-ball century against South Africa in the T20 World Cup semifinals, marking the fastest century in both 50-over and T20 World Cup history.
He now ranks third among KKR players for the most sixes in an IPL innings, trailing behind Andre Russell's 11 sixes against Chennai Super Kings in 2018 and McCullum's 13 sixes during his explosive 158* in the very first IPL match.
Allen joins the ranks of McCullum, Venkatesh Iyer, and Sunil Narine as the fourth player to score a century for KKR in the IPL.
In the current IPL season, Allen has accumulated 210 runs over seven innings, averaging 35.00 with a strike rate of 205.88, including one century. This year, he has amassed a total of 905 runs in 23 T20 innings, averaging 45.25 with a strike rate of 195.04, featuring three centuries and three fifties.
During the match, KKR won the toss and chose to field first. After a solid 49-run partnership between Pathum Nissanka (50 runs off 29 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and KL, DC found themselves struggling at 89/5, thanks to Anukul Roy's impressive bowling figures of 2/31 in four overs. Spinners Varun Chakravarthy (0/28) and Sunil Narine (1/17) also contributed to a tight middle overs performance, while Kartik Tyagi claimed two key wickets for 25 runs. Ashutosh Sharma managed to score 39 runs off 28 balls, helping DC reach 142/8 in their 20 overs.
In response, KKR faced early setbacks, losing openers Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, leaving them at 31/2. However, a crucial 116-run partnership between Allen and Cam Green (33* off 27 balls, with two sixes) propelled KKR to victory in just 14.2 overs, finishing with eight wickets in hand.
With this win, KKR has moved up to seventh place, marking their fourth consecutive victory and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Meanwhile, DC has dropped to eighth place, suffering their fifth consecutive loss at home and their seventh overall this season, effectively eliminating their chances for the playoffs.