Finn Allen recorded the fastest hundred in the history of the T20 World Cups to power New Zealand to the T20 World Cup 2026 final in style as New Zealand romped home with nine wickets to spare at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday. Chasing South Africa’s 169/8, Allen and Tim Seifert laid the platform for New Zealand with a 117-run stand.
Although Seifert was bowled by Kagiso Rabada, Allen continued his carnage with a 19-ball fifty first, before taking another 14 balls to complete his third century in the shortest format of the game. With this hundred, Allen also broke Chris Gayle’s longstanding record of a fastest hundred in a T20 World Cup. The former West Indies batsman had scored a 47-ball ton in 2016.
Entering the 13th over with 21 runs needed, Allen smashed Marco Jansen for two fours and two sixes in the first four balls of the over. In fact, Allen’s last six went out of the stadium as a new ball had to be taken for the final delivery. With four runs needed to complete his hundred, Allen dispatches Jansen for a boundary through the long on boundary to complete the win.
Allen’s 33-ball hundred is also the joint third fastest in T20Is, along with Namibia’s Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (vs Nepal, 2024) and Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza (vs Gambia, 2024). New Zealand eventually won the game in 12.5 overs. This is also their second appearance in the T20 World Cup final after finishing runners-up to Australia in the 2021 summit clash.
In the final, New Zealand will either face India or England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8. Defending champions India will play England in the second semifinal in Mumbai on March 5.
Tim Seifert’s innings helped Finn Allen
With Siefert (58 off 33 balls) going hammer and tongs at the other end, it was easy for Allen at the other end. “Obviously, we wanted to start looking straight and obviously try and put them on the back foot early. I think it’s easy for me when Timmy’s (Seifert) going like that, I can kind of just watch and then hit it when it’s in my area and just try and give him the strike.
“So I think the way that he batted got us off to an absolute flyer,” said Allen, who was given the Player of the Match. Notably, both Seifert and Allen have been picked up Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction last year. If India beat England in Mumbai on Thursday, it will be the repeat fixture of last year’s ICC Champions Trophy final.
Between Allen and Seifert, the duo hit 13 boundaries and six sixes. The match as a contest was as good as over within the powerplay when 84 runs were scored — 22 coming in the sixth over bowled by Corbin Bosch.
Allen also became the third New Zealander to score a hundred in the T20 World Cup after Brendon McCullum (vs Bangladesh in 2012) and Glenn Phillips (vs Sri Lanka in 2022).
