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Netizens went into ecstasy when Finn Allen scored a record-breaking century to take New Zealand to the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a win over South Africa.

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A night that will be remembered for years in T20 International (T20I), New Zealand’s opening batsman finn allen Delivered a breathtaking performance to take the Black Caps to the final of the T20 World Cup 2026. Playing at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, the 26-year-old played a sensational unbeaten 100 off just 33 balls, leading New Zealand to victory. Won over South Africa by nine wickets. His explosive innings not only sealed New Zealand’s place in Sunday’s final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, but also created a new record for the fastest century in Men’s T20 World Cup history.

Chasing the target of 170 runs, Allen played an innings that surprised fans and experts. He tore apart the South African bowling attack and hit 10 fours and eight sixes in his innings, which combined remarkable accuracy with fearless hitting. The Kiwi opener completed his half-century in just 19 balls, which is the fastest half-century by a New Zealand batsman in the T20 World Cup. After this, he accelerated even further and completed his century in just 33 balls and broke Chris Gayle’s long-standing record of the fastest century in the tournament.

Allen’s control during the innings was even more astonishing. Of the 33 balls he faced, only four were dot balls, highlighting the constant pressure he put on the South African bowlers. His strike rate of 303.03 ensured that chasing the target never looked challenging. To make the moment even more special, Allen became the first player to score a century in a T20 World Cup knockout match, adding another historic milestone to his incredible night.

South Africa recovers after initial collapse

Earlier in the match, South Africa had struggled to build momentum after being sent in to bat first by New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner. Their innings got off to a poor start when Cole McConchie struck twice in the second over, dismissing Quinton de Kock for 10 and sending Ryan Rickelton back for a golden duck. Suddenly, the Proteas found themselves in trouble at 12 for 2.

The pressure increased further when Rachin Ravindra dismissed captain Aiden Markram for 18 runs and the dangerous David Miller for just six runs. With South Africa falling by 4 wickets for 77 runs, the unbeaten team of the tournament seems to be heading towards a disappointing score.

A brief fightback came through Dewald Brevis, who scored 34 off 27 balls. However, when he became the victim of James Neesham, South Africa slipped to 108 for 5, leaving them in a difficult position.

The turning point for the Proteas came through Marco Jansen, who counter-attacked in the latter stages of the innings. Partnering with Tristan Stubbs, who contributed 29 runs, Jensen helped add a vital partnership of 73 runs for the sixth wicket. The tall all-rounder then took charge in the death overs and remained unbeaten on 55 off 30 balls with the help of five sixes and two fours, taking South Africa to a competitive score of 169 runs for 8 wickets.

Finn Allen’s attack left the Proteas helpless

Despite South Africa’s late lead, New Zealand dominated the chase. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert came with aggressive intent and completely demolished the Proteas bowling attack. The opening pair scored 84 runs in the powerplay without losing any wicket – the highest ever score in the powerplay in a T20 World Cup knockout match.

Seifert played a brilliant supporting role and scored 58 runs in 33 balls with the help of seven fours and two sixes. Together they made an opening partnership of 117 runs, due to which New Zealand took firm control of the match.

Seifert was eventually dismissed by Kagiso Rabada, but by then the contest was slipping away from South Africa. Allen continued his attack with fearless strokeplay and thrashed bowlers like Keshav Maharaj, Corbin Bosch and Marco Johnson to all parts of the ground.

In fitting fashion, Allen brought up his historic century and sealed the victory with a smashing six over mid-off, sending the New Zealand fans into celebration. The Black Caps completed the chase in just 12.5 overs with 43 balls remaining, one of the most impressive semi-final wins ever in T20 World Cup history.

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