A revitalized Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Delhi Capitals by eight wickets on Friday thanks to Finn Allen’s scorching first IPL century. This was the team’s fourth straight victory.
After Sunil Narine’s brilliant display of spin bowling set the stage for the victory, the New Zealander reached his ton with his tenth six to seal the deal.
Kolkata spinners created a middle-overs grip, limiting Delhi to 142/8 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. West Indies off-spinner Narine grabbed 1/17 from his four overs.
Left-armer Anukul Roy and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy provided Narine with strong support.
A Delhi innings that had started with a lot of promise after Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka hit a slick half-century was derailed when the three of them took 3/76 from 12 outstanding overs.
After being put in by Ajinkya Rahane, Nissanka and KL Rahul scored 49 for the first wicket, but the scoreboard almost stopped when the spinners entered the game.
Ashutosh Sharma gave Delhi a late boost with 39 off 28 deliveries after they were stifled by the skill of the Kolkata tweakers and failed to score a boundary for 38 deliveries in a row during the second half of the innings.
After losing Rahane, who was run out at the non-striker’s end backing up, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who was bowled off his shoulder while attempting to sweep Axar Patel, Allen, who came on as the impact substitute for a hobbling Chakravarthy, bided his time. Allen had not survived the Powerplay in his previous six innings.
Cameron Green, a potent Australian all-rounder who was happy to play second fiddle during an uninterrupted third-wicket partnership that produced 116 runs in 64 deliveries, proved to be Allen’s capable ally.
After being dropped on 42 at long-on by Tristan Stubbs, Allen reached his fifty off 32 deliveries before smoothly changing gears.
He needed just 15 deliveries to reach his second fifty, easily defeating wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam.
With the final of his ten sixes off pacer Mukesh Kumar, Allen broke the three-figure barrier. The boundary also forced three-time former champions Kolkata home with 34 deliveries remaining.
Delhi suffered their ninth home loss in 11 games since the beginning of the 2025 season, while Kolkata switched places with Delhi on the points chart, moving up to eighth and maintaining their chances of making the playoffs.
