Finn Allen's 33-ball century sets new T20 World Cup record

Did you SEE what Finn Allen did last night? I am still SHAKING. New Zealand played South Africa in the semi-final at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and this man Finn Allen went CRAZY. He scored 100 runs in just 33 balls – that’s the FASTEST century in T20 World Cup HISTORY. He broke Chris Gayle’s record. Let me tell you everything.

What Happened in Kolkata?

So on Wednesday, New Zealand and South Africa played their first semi-final at Eden Gardens. South Africa batted first and made 169 runs for 7 wickets in 20 overs.

Rassie van der Dussen scored 52 runs. Aiden Markram made 44. But New Zealand bowlers bowled well – Lockie Ferguson took 3 wickets.

169 runs seemed like a GOOD score. Semi-final pressure. Big crowd. Everyone thought “this will be a close match.”

But then… FINN ALLEN happened.

Absolute carnage from Tim Seifert and Finn Allen rewrites #T20WorldCup record books 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kx4XA2upo5
— ICC (@ICC) February 10, 2026

From 59(24) to 100(33). Finn Allen, you monster. 41 runs in 9 balls that too in middle overs. One hell of a knock!🫡👏 pic.twitter.com/oEpLRhPue4
— maddy (@224notout) March 5, 2026

Allen's INSANE Innings

Finn Allen opened the batting for New Zealand with Tim Seifert. And from FIRST BALL, he was on FIRE.

He reached his 50 in just 19 balls. That’s already FAST. But he didn’t stop. He kept hitting SIXES and FOURS everywhere. South Africa bowlers had NO idea what to do. Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi – all top fast bowlers – got DESTROYED.

Allen hit:

12 fours
8 sixes
Total: 100 runs off 33 balls.

He reached his century in 33 balls – that’s FASTER than Chris Gayle’s 47-ball century in 2016. NEW WORLD RECORD.

Watch the moment: Allen reached 100 with a FOUR. Then he hugged Tim Seifert and raised a bat to the crowd. So EMOTIONAL.

What Records Did Allen Break?

Let me list ALL the records Finn Allen smashed:

Fastest century in T20 World Cup history – 33 balls (previous: Chris Gayle 47 balls, 2016)
Fastest hundred against a Full Member nation in T20Is
Joint third-fastest T20I century overall (tied with Sikandar Raza)
Highest score by a New Zealand batter in the T20 World Cup knockouts
Fastest fifty in T20 World Cup semi-final – 19 balls

Here’s the all-time fastest T20I centuries list:

Balls	Player	Match	Year
27	Sahil Chauhan	Estonia vs Cyprus	2024
29	Muhammad Fahad	Turkey vs Bulgaria	2025
33	Finn Allen	New Zealand vs South Africa	2026
33	Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton	Namibia vs Nepal	2024
33	Sikandar Raza	Zimbabwe vs Gambia	2024

New Zealand Chase Target EASILY

New Zealand needed 170 runs to win. Allen’s blitz meant they reached the target in just 12.5 overs. They won by 9 wickets.

Tim Seifert also played amazingly – he scored 55 runs from 33 balls. He and Allen put on 117 runs for the first wicket – that’s SECOND HIGHEST partnership in T20 World Cup knockouts ever.

Highest partnerships in T20 World Cup knockouts:

Runs	Pair	Match	Year
170*	Jos Buttler & Alex Hales	England vs India (SF)	2022
117	Finn Allen & Tim Seifert	New Zealand vs South Africa (SF)	2026
111	Craig Kieswetter & Kevin Pietersen	England vs Australia (Final)	2010
105	Babar Azam & Mohammad Rizwan	Pakistan vs New Zealand (SF)	2022

Absolute carnage from Tim Seifert and Finn Allen rewrites #T20WorldCup record books 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kx4XA2upo5
— ICC (@ICC) February 10, 2026

From 59(24) to 100(33). Finn Allen, you monster. 41 runs in 9 balls that too in middle overs. One hell of a knock!🫡👏 pic.twitter.com/oEpLRhPue4
— maddy (@224notout) March 5, 2026

What South Africa Players Said?

South Africa captain Aiden Markram was SO disappointed. He said, “Finn Allen played one of the best innings I’ve seen. Sometimes you just have to accept that the opposition played better. We thought 169 was competitive, but he made it look like a T10 match.”

Kagiso Rabada said, “I’ve bowled to many great batters, but that was special. He was hitting good balls for six. Nothing we could do.”

At the same time, attention has shifted to other global leagues where on-field performance remains the sole focus. Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s strong run at the top of the SA20 points table, driven by crucial bonus wins, highlights how franchise cricket elsewhere continues to thrive amid stability and sporting clarity.

Sunrisers Supreme: SEC Move Top of SA20 Table with Back-to-Back Bonus Point Wins

New Zealand Reaches FINAL

With this win, New Zealand reached the T20 World Cup FINAL for the SECOND time. They lost the final in 2021 to Australia. Now they want to WIN.

They will play either India or ENGLAND in the final on Sunday, March 8, at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad (the BIGGEST cricket stadium in the world – 132,000 capacity)

India and England play the second semi-final on Thursday at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. If India wins, it’s the INDIA vs NZ final. If England wins, it’s the England vs. NZ final.

What Finn Allen Said After the Match?

Allen was so happy. He said: “I can’t believe it. This is the best day of my life. The ball was coming on nicely, and I just backed myself to hit through the line. The support from the crowd was amazing – even though they were cheering for South Africa initially, I think we won them over.”

When asked about the record, he said, “Chris Gayle is my hero. To break his record at Eden Gardens, where he scored 175* in the IPL… unreal feeling.”

My Thoughts

You know what I think? This was the BEST batting performance I’ve EVER seen in a World Cup knockout. A 33-ball century in the SEMI-FINAL against SOUTH AFRICA. That’s CRAZY.

New Zealand now looks SUPER dangerous. If they bat like this in the final, no one can stop them.

But India or England is also strong. There should be an AMAZING final on Sunday.

Who do YOU want to win? India in the final vs NZ would be a DREAM match.

Let’s see what happens in the second semi-final.