IPL2026 : Allen’s Blazing Century Powers KKR to Fourth Straight Win Against Delhi

 

Kolkata Knight Riders continued their stunning resurgence in the tournament with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Riding on a breathtaking century from Finn Allen, KKR notched up their fourth consecutive win and reignited their playoff ambitions in emphatic fashion.

The momentum that began with Rinku Singh’s match-winning heroics against Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens now appears unstoppable. Kolkata’s confidence, intensity, and body language have transformed dramatically over the last few matches, and Thursday night in Delhi was another perfect example of their revival.

Adding further intrigue to the contest was the presence of Gautam Gambhir in the stands. The former KKR captain and mentor, who guided the franchise to multiple IPL triumphs, was seen engaged in long discussions with selector RP Singh and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla during the game. Gambhir’s return to a KKR match after taking over as India’s head coach seemed to inject an extra wave of energy into the side.

For Gambhir, the fixture carried emotional significance. While his IPL journey began with Delhi Daredevils, it was in KKR colours that he cemented his legendary status, leading the franchise to two IPL titles and later mentoring them to another championship. Watching from the gallery, he witnessed Kolkata deliver one of their most clinical performances of the season.

After winning the toss, KKR produced a disciplined bowling display to restrict Delhi to a modest 142/8 on a surface that had previously produced massive totals. Anukul Roy and Kartik Tyagi claimed two wickets apiece, while Sunil Narine, Cameron Green, and Vaibhav Arora chipped in with one each. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy remained wicketless but bowled economically, conceding just 28 runs in his four overs.

Delhi Capitals actually started the match well with 55 runs in the powerplay with Pathum Nissanka & KL Rahul both playing breathtaking shots . However Rahul(23) departed against the run of play & the back to back dismissals of Nissanka (50) & Rana to a short ball opened up the floodgates as the Delhi middle order fell apart to accurate spin  & pace bowling of KKR. 

For Delhi, Pathum Nissanka top-scored with a breezy fifty, while Ashutosh Sharma played a spirited late cameo of 39 from 28 deliveries. However, the total was never likely to trouble a confident KKR batting unit.

Chasing 143, Kolkata suffered a couple of early setbacks as Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi departed cheaply. But what followed was pure domination from Finn Allen. The explosive Kiwi opener tore apart Delhi’s bowling attack with fearless strokeplay, smashing a sensational unbeaten century off just 47 balls. His brutal assault ensured KKR raced to victory in only 14.2 overs.

Cameron Green provided excellent support with an unbeaten 33, while Delhi skipper Axar Patel tried to inspire a fightback with the ball. Kuldeep Yadav, however, endured another disappointing outing, leaking 41 runs in three overs as Delhi failed to regain control.

KKR’s revival story is rapidly becoming one of the defining narratives of the season. From appearing down and out in the playoff race, the Knights have now climbed from eighth to seventh in the standings, with belief surging through the camp. The road ahead remains challenging, but with four consecutive wins and key players peaking at the right time, Kolkata have firmly thrust themselves back into contention.