Finn Allen’s unbeaten 47-ball IPL century powered KKR to an eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals, with Mark Boucher and Piyush Chawla praising the Kiwi opener’s explosive batting display.
Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a dominant eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in the India Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Friday after Finn Allen's unbeaten century saw his team chase down a modest 143-run target at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Key Points
- Former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher praised Allen’s power and clean striking.
- Boucher said Allen looked “like batting against a bowling machine” during his innings.
- Former India spinner Piyush Chawla highlighted Allen’s smart use of the crease on a difficult pitch.
- Chawla felt DC spinners failed to bowl consistent lengths against Allen.
Speaking on JioHotstar, former South African player Mark Boucher and former India leg spinner Piyush Chawla analysed Finn Allen's unbeaten century.
Finn Allen's shots looked effortless
Boucher lauded Allen's extraordinary century and said, "Once Finn Allen gets past 20 or 30, there are very few players in world cricket who strike the ball with the kind of power he does. What makes him special is not just the strength, but the range and cleanliness of his hitting."
"Whether it was the pick-up shot over fine leg against Mitchell Starc or the straight hits back over the bowler's head, everything looked effortless. Anything in his arc or under his eyeline, he was striking beautifully. At one stage, it almost looked like he was batting against a bowling machine. It was an incredible innings to watch," he added.
It was Allen's maiden IPL century, and he took just 47 balls to reach the milestone with the help of 10 sixes and five fours.
DC spinners weren't lethal enough to trouble Allen
Chawla also spoke about Allen's knock and his approach against spin.
"This was probably the toughest surface Finn Allen has batted on in the tournament, but what stood out was how well he used the crease. Against anything short, he went deep in the crease, and whenever the ball was in his zone, he capitalised immediately. His reach also allows him to access different areas of the ground comfortably.
"Having said that, the spinners didn't consistently bowl the right lengths to trouble him and ended up offering too many scoring opportunities. Once a player of his quality gets into rhythm, he becomes extremely difficult to contain, and this innings showed exactly why he's rated so highly in T20 cricket," Chawla said.
With this win, KKR have moved to seventh place on the back of four consecutive wins after starting their campaign by remaining winless in the first six matches. The three-time champions will face the RCB in their next fixture in Raipur on Wednesday.
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