The Kolkata Knight Riders completely crushed the Delhi Capitals on Friday night at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Finn Allen unleashed a massive unbeaten 100 off 47 balls to secure an eight-wicket victory. KKR chased down Delhi’s 142/8 in just 14.2 overs. This is their fourth consecutive win of the 2026 IPL season. It keeps their playoff hopes alive.
Allen anchored the entire run chase. He finished with exactly 100 runs. He hit 10 sixes and five boundaries. The New Zealand opener brought up his maiden IPL century on the final ball of the match.
Delhi Capitals threw away a fast start. Openers Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul put up 49 runs in the first five overs. Nissanka scored 50 off 29 balls. Rahul added 23. The KKR spin trio took over immediately after. Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Anukul Roy dried up the boundaries and triggered a massive batting collapse. Delhi managed only 142/8. The Capitals have now suffered their seventh defeat in 11 matches.
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane publicly praised Allen. He noted the opener’s impressive turnaround after struggling in the first four or five games of the season. Rahane heavily credited the bowling unit. He specifically highlighted the tactical understanding and execution of the spin bowlers during the middle overs. This dominant performance shifts the mood for the franchise following a recent tense dugout exchange.
Why Finn Allen’s Historic Year Alters T20 Bidding Strategies
Allen is now the first New Zealand batter in history to score three T20 centuries in a single calendar year. He hit 101 for the Perth Scorchers in the BBL and an unbeaten 100 off 33 balls for New Zealand in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Now he holds the fastest century in IPL history for the Kolkata Knight Riders. The specific details of the 8-wicket win and Allen’s 47-ball maiden IPL century were confirmed by a Times of India match report. This level of cross-league consistency forces a major market shift. Global franchises will likely prioritize international calendar-year momentum over historic league batting averages in upcoming auctions.