IPL 2026: Allen's ton keeps KKR afloat in playoff race after thrashing DC by 8 wickets to record 4th straight win

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) notched a thumping eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley stadium on May 8 to keep their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive. DC were bundled out for a paltry 142/8. In reply, Finn Allen's maiden IPL century ensured KKR chase down the lowly total in just 14.2 overs.

KKR crush DC by 8 wickets

Allen's 47-ball 100 masterclass included 10 towering sixes and five boundaries, completely overwhelming DC' bowling attack. While openers Ajinkya Rahane and Allen provided a brisk start, a mid-pitch mix-up led to Rahane being run out by Mitchell Starc in the third over. When captain Axar Patel dismissed Angkrish Raghuvanshi shortly after, KKR found themselves momentarily stuttering at 32/2.

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Finn Allen's maiden IPL ton in KKR's win

However, any hopes of a Delhi comeback were quickly extinguished by a ruthless onslaught from Allen. Once he found his rhythm, the New Zealander attacked both pace and spin with equal disdain, reaching his half-century off 32 deliveries with a six against Starc. Supported by a steady Cameron Green, who remained unbeaten on 33, Allen shifted into a higher gear after the halfway mark. He dismantled the spin duo of Vipraj Nigam and Kuldeep Yadav, at one stage smashing five sixes across just two overs to storm into the 90s.

The finish was as dramatic as the rest of his innings; with KKR needing just three runs for victory, Green played a selfless single to put Allen back on strike. On 94*, Allen launched a massive six to bring up his maiden IPL hundred off just 47 balls, sealing a comprehensive win in style. On the bowling front for Delhi, only Axar Patel and Lungi Ngidi managed to exert any real control, while the rest of the attack struggled to contain the carnage.

This dominant performance marks KKR's fourth consecutive win of the season, signaling a significant mid-tournament resurgence. With this victory, they have climbed to seventh place on the points table, now boasting four wins from ten matches and keeping their playoff aspirations alive.

DC's deflated batting

Earlier, Pathum Nissanka provided a composed foundation for the Delhi Capitals with a well-earned half-century, but the Kolkata Knight Riders' spin attack proved insurmountable on a challenging Friday night. Delhi was restricted to a modest total of 142 for 8 as KKR’s slow bowlers dictated the tempo of the game. The trio of Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakravarthy delivered a tactical masterclass, combining for three wickets and effectively halting the scoring during the crucial middle overs. They were well-supported by the pace battery of Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora, and Cameron Green, who maintained the pressure from the other end.

The innings began with promise after Delhi was asked to bat, as Nissanka and KL Rahul put on a fluent opening stand. The Sri Lankan opener took the aggressive lead early on, hitting the first boundary and six of the match. However, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane showed immediate faith in his spinners, introducing Roy and Narine inside the powerplay. While the openers initially handled the challenge, the boundaries dried up significantly once the field spread, allowing the pressure to mount steadily on the home side.

The momentum shifted decisively when Tyagi and Green dismissed Rahul and Nitish Rana in quick succession, allowing KKR to tighten their grip. Varun Chakravarthy was particularly suffocating, delivering a spell that yielded just three runs and forced the Delhi batters into high-risk shots. Sunil Narine capitalized on this frustration by removing Sameer Rizvi, who miscued a sweep to midwicket. Although Nissanka reached his fifty with a crisp drive, he was outsmarted by Anukul Roy on the very next ball, falling to a stumping while trying to force the pace.

Delhi’s middle-order collapse was further compounded when Roy deceived Tristan Stubbs in the same over, leaving the hosts in a dire position. If not for a spirited late cameo from Ashutosh Sharma, who struck a vital 39 off 28 balls, the Capitals would have struggled to reach the triple-digit mark. Ashutosh finally ended a grueling 38-ball boundary drought with a six and followed it up with a 16-run burst in the 17th over, providing the only real late resistance in an otherwise dominant bowling performance by Kolkata.