Kolkata Knight Riders’ late-season resurgence reached a fever pitch as Finn Allen blasted a spectacular 47-ball century to secure a dominant eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals on May 8, 2026.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have officially announced their arrival in the playoff race, dismantling Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The star of the show was New Zealand opener Finn Allen, who notched his maiden IPL ton in a display of pure hitting.
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Chasing a target of 143, Allen was in a league of his own, reaching the triple-figure mark on the very last ball of the game. Allen remained unbeaten on 100 off 47 deliveries*. His innings was punctuated by 10 towering sixes and 5 boundaries. Needing a boundary for his hundred with the team on the verge of victory, Allen cleared the ropes to reach his milestone and finish the chase simultaneously.
Earlier in the match, Pathum Nissanka struck a quick half-century, while Ashutosh Sharma contributed a fighting 39 as Delhi Capitals managed 142/8 after being asked to bat first. KL Rahul and Nissanka provided Delhi with an aggressive start, adding 49 runs for the opening wicket. Rahul scored 23 before being dismissed, while Nissanka continued his attacking approach and completed a 29-ball fifty.
However, Delhi’s innings lost momentum soon after the Sri Lankan opener departed. The middle order struggled to build partnerships, leaving the side under pressure. A late counterattack from Ashutosh Sharma, who made 39 off 28 deliveries, helped DC post a competitive total.
Season of Two Halves
This victory marks KKR’s fourth consecutive win, a stark contrast to their dismal start to IPL 2026. From being bottom-dwellers in April, the Men in Purple have surged into serious playoff contention. KKR faced a “must-win” scenario in nearly every game over the last fortnight.
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Despite losing Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi early, the chase never looked in doubt thanks to Allen’s strike rate of 212.77.
Impact on Points Table
With this result, KKR moves up to 9 points from 10 matches. While they still need to win their remaining fixtures, the sheer momentum of this four-game winning streak has made them the “danger team” of the tournament’s business end.
