'There are very few players in world cricket who strike the ball like Finn Allen': Mark Boucher

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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.

New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): 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. Finn Allen made an unbeaten century to help his team chase down a modest 143-run target at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live', Mark Boucher and Piyush Chawla analysed Finn Allen's unbeaten century.

Former South African cricketer, 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."

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Finn Allen scored an unbeaten century, reaching the milestone in just 47 balls with 10 sixes and five fours. His performance was crucial in KKR's dominant eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals.

Mark Boucher stated that few players in world cricket strike the ball with the power Finn Allen possesses once he gets past 20 or 30 runs. He highlighted Allen's range, cleanliness of hitting, and effortless strokeplay.

Piyush Chawla noted that Finn Allen used the crease effectively against spinners, going deep for short balls and capitalizing on anything in his zone. However, he also mentioned that the spinners didn't consistently bowl the right lengths to trouble Allen.

Yes, Cameron Green deliberately slowed his scoring and took a single late in the chase to ensure Finn Allen had the strike to reach his maiden IPL century with a six.

The win kept Kolkata Knight Riders' playoff hopes alive, extending their winning streak to four matches and moving them to seventh place. For Delhi Capitals, the defeat was their seventh in 11 games, making their playoff chances more difficult.

"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.

Former India spinner Piyush 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. (ANI)

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