Kolkata Knight Riders’ late surge in IPL 2026 gained another sharp edge on Friday as Finn Allen’s unbeaten century powered them to an eight-wicket win over the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
KKR chased down 143 in only 14.2 overs, with Allen finishing unbeaten on 100 off 47 balls. Cameron Green, who watched the carnage from the other end and made 33 not out, later called it one of those rare innings a player gets to witness from such close range.
Green plays support act as Allen turns chase into a statement win
Delhi Capitals had started with intent after being asked to bat first, with Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul adding 49 inside the first five overs. Nissanka went on to make 50, while Ashutosh Sharma contributed 39, but DC lost control once KKR’s bowlers dragged the game back through the middle overs. The home side finished on 142/8, a total that never looked enough once Allen found his range.
KKR did have an early hiccup in the chase when captain Ajinkya Rahane was run out in an unusual fashion. Allen’s shot deflected off Mitchell Starc’s hand and hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end, catching Rahane short of his crease. The dismissal could have briefly disrupted the chase, but Allen kept driving KKR forward with clean hitting and brutal acceleration.
The New Zealand batter reached his half-century off 32 balls before tearing through the second half of his innings in only 15 deliveries. He struck 10 sixes and five fours, completing his hundred and the chase with a six of Mukesh Kumar. The win marked KKR’s fourth straight victory and kept their playoff push alive after a difficult earlier phase of the season.
Green, speaking after the match in an interview on JioHotstar, said being at the other end during Finn Allen’s innings was a rare experience. “So special. I think you only get the chance to be at the other end a handful of times in your career, so that’s one of them,” Green said.
Allen and Green shared an unbeaten stand that took KKR home with 34 balls to spare. Green played the calmer role, rotating strike and allowing Allen to dominate the chase. Asked about the conversation between the two batters in the middle, Green said there was very little discussion because Allen had made the plan simple.
“Nothing really. I think, Finn, all he said was, ‘See you next over.’ So, yeah, that’s basically what I tried to do. I was just at the other end playing second fiddle,” Cameron Green said.
The most delicate phase arrived near the end of the chase, when Allen was closing in on his hundred, and KKR were already within touching distance of victory. Green said he had calculated the equation when 29 runs were left and knew he had to ensure Allen remained in control of the strike.
“I think I did the match when we had 29 to get. So yeah, I knew I’d be the most hated man in Kolkata if I did anything else apart from that (giving the single to Allen),” Green said.
Asked who was doing the calculation in the middle, Green added with a smile that Allen may also have worked it out. “No, not us. I was, I did the math. But no, Finn’s very good at maths as well, so I’ll give him credit for that. So, probably, he was probably doing the same. Winning, that’s been the most satisfying,” he said.
Also Read: KKR ‘buck the IPL 2026 trend’: Ajinkya Rahane’s men find a strange way to push for play-offs
Green also praised KKR’s bowling unit for setting up the result on a surface where Delhi had threatened to build a larger total after their powerplay start. He singled out the spin group, which has been central to KKR’s revival.
“But I think our bowlers have been great all comp. Our spin bowling in particular, they’ve been exceptional. So I think the fast bowlers around them have just played their part,” Green said. “And obviously, Sunny (Sunil Narine) and Varun (Chakaravaerthy) have been awesome. And Anu (Anukul Roy) has been chipping in as well,” he added.
Despite KKR’s fourth straight win, Green said the team was not looking too far ahead in the playoff race. Their position still demands a strong finish, and he kept the focus on the remaining league games.
“No, you definitely don’t look that far ahead. I think we still have to win every game from here. So, yeah, we won’t be looking that far ahead,” Green said.
