Former South Africa cricketer makes MASSIVE statement on Finn Allen after brutal IPL century vs DC

Finn Allen completely changed the game for Kolkata Knight Riders with a brilliant unbeaten century against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday. The opener attacked the bowlers from the start and made the chase look easy as KKR sealed an important eight-wicket win.

The victory was KKR’s fourth in a row in IPL 2026 and kept them firmly in the race for the playoffs, while Allen’s innings received praise from former cricketers Mark Boucher and Piyush Chawla.

Finn Allen destroys DC attack after slow start

Allen took some time to settle early in the innings and scored just 20 runs off his first 17 balls. However, once he found his rhythm, the New Zealand batter completely took over the contest.

Add Cricket Country as a Preferred Source

The aggressive opener blasted 80 runs off his next 30 deliveries and brought up his maiden IPL hundred in just 47 balls. He also stitched an unbeaten 116-run partnership with Cameron Green as KKR chased down the target comfortably with 34 balls remaining.

Mark Boucher praises Allen’s clean hitting

Former South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Mark Boucher said Allen’s power and ability to hit all around the ground make him one of the most dangerous batters in T20 cricket.

“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,” Boucher said on JioStar.

Piyush Chawla highlights Allen’s dominance against spin

Former India spinner Piyush Chawla also praised Allen’s footwork and smart use of the crease while attacking spin bowlers during the chase.

Allen scored 73 runs off just 31 balls against spin at a strike rate of over 235 and never allowed the Delhi bowlers to settle.

“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,” said Chawla.

Allen’s century keeps KKR playoff hopes alive

On a pitch where most batters struggled to time the ball properly, Allen looked completely in control throughout the innings. His unbeaten century proved to be the biggest difference between the two sides as KKR comfortably chased down the target.

The emphatic win lifted Kolkata Knight Riders to seventh place on the IPL 2026 points table and gave fresh life to their playoff campaign.