Published: May 8, 2026 at 11:00 pm
Finn Allen struck an unbeaten century to power Kolkata Knight Riders to a thumping eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Friday night.
Kolkata Knight Riders are having a dashing of a time as they won their fourth consecutive victory. Kolkata, who had a poor start in the season, had only one point from their first six games and were languishing at the bottom. But in a remarkable turnaround, the Knight Riders have won four games on the trot to reach the seventh position with nine points. While this surge may not be enough for them to reach the playoffs, it definitely is a morale booster for the side, which has been at the receiving end. It will also galvanise them for the games ahead as they hope to make a dash to the top four.
Finn Allen and Cameron Green shared an unbroken 116-run partnership which helped Kolkata Knight Riders romp to an eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Friday night
On the other hand, Delhi Capitals have lost four of their last five games to let go of the initial advantage they had gained at the start of the tournament. They are in the eight place and chances of making the playoffs are more or less blown away.
Allen and Green make merry
The architect of Friday’s win was New Zealander Allen, who struck a 47-ball 100 with five fours and a whopping 10 sixes. He was ably supported by Cameron Green, who remained unbeaten on 33 (27 balls; 2×6).
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Chasing a tricky 143 for victory, Kolkata lost skipper Ajinkya Rahane (13) with 29 on the board. The skipper was run out by Mitchell Starc. To complicate matters, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who has been in good form, was bowled by Axar Patel for 1 and that set the alarm bells ringing in the Kolkata camp.
However, Allen and Green stood their ground and ensured a comfortable victory with an unbroken 116-run partnership for the third wicket which came off 64 balls.
Delhi Capitals opener Pathum Nissanka struck a 29-ball 50 at the top of the innings
“Was special, not often you get to stay at the non-strikers. All Finn said was ‘see you next over’, I played second fiddle. Did the math 29 runs off, knew I’d be the most hated player in Kolkata if I didn’t help him get the ton. Winning has been satisfying, bowlers have been great, spin exceptional. Can’t look far ahead, gotta win every game from here,” said Green.
“I’ve been working on having more strings in my bow. Had to be more responsible after a couple of early wickets. I tried to knuckle down early, was challenging early on, Axar bowled early. Strategy was to get in a good position and bat deep. That’s my model, stay in when it’s tough, give myself a chance. I’ve got a few starts, frustrating not to carry on, nice to have some personal success. When the situation comes, you forget about your batting and focus on the situation. I knew if I stayed out for a long time, 40 balls, doesn’t happen too often (I’d score enough). Sometimes, being left out changes your perspective. Allows time for mental refresh. I was putting on too much pressure on myself,” said Allen, who was named the Player of the Match.
Nissanka and Ashutosh prop up Delhi score
Earlier, Delhi Capitals got off to a slow but steady start with openers Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul getting 49 in five overs before Rahul (23) fell to Kartik Tyagi.
Thereafter, it was a virtual procession as the Delhi batters failed to build an innings. Nissanka waged a lone furrow at the top with a 29-ball 50 which contained five fours and three sixes. He was the fourth wicket to fall at 85.
By that time, Nitish Rana (8) and Sameer Rizvi (3) had departed without much ado. After Nissanka fell, Tristan Stubbs (2) and skipper Axar Patel (11) too went their way, and it was left to Ashutosh Sharma to lend some respectability to the Delhi score. He made 39 off 28 balls with three sixes and three fours as Delhi reached 142 for eight in their 20 overs.
Ashutosh Sharma made 39 off 28 balls with three sixes and three fours as Delhi reached 142 for eight in their 20 overs. Pics: BCCI
Kartik Tyagi (2/25) and Anukul Roy (2/31) were the most successful bowlers for Kolkata Knight Riders.
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“Runs were short, spinners made a lot of mistakes. Gave away too many step-hits. We lost 4-5 wickets in 2-3 overs, lost momentum there. If we make a mistake, it’ll be difficult for the incoming batters. We had to take one-two overs to consolidate after a cluster of wickets. We’ll have to plan for next year and work with the players in the next two games,” said a disappointed Delhi skipper Axar Patel.
Brief scores: Delhi Capitals 142 for eight in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 50, KL Rahul 23, Ashutosh Sharma 39; Anukul Roy 2/31, Kartik Tyagi 2/25) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 147 for two in 14.2 overs (Finn Allen 100 not out, Cameron Green 33 not out).
