Explosive batting from Finn Allen lit up Eden Gardens as New Zealand crushed South Africa by 9 wickets in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final. The opener’s unbeaten 33-ball 100, studded with 10 fours and 8 sixes, demolished records and secured a final berth.
Reaching 20 sixes for the tournament with his eighth blow, Allen set a fresh benchmark, surpassing Hetmyer, Farhan, Pooran, Gurbaz, and Gayle. His lightning-quick century shattered Gayle’s 47-ball T20 World Cup record from 2016, while also becoming the highest in knockout games ahead of Dilshan’s 96*.
Allen joins an elite New Zealand trio with centuries in the tournament—McCullum’s 123 in 2012 and Phillips’ 104 in 2022. South Africa limped to 169/8 batting first. New Zealand’s response was ruthless: 173/1 in 12.5 overs, powered by Seifert’s 58. Allen scooped Player of the Match, his exploits promising more fireworks ahead.