New Zealand opener Finn Allen created history on March 4 in Kolkata during the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2026 against South Africa. The explosive batter smashed the fastest century in T20 World Cup history, reaching the milestone in just 33 balls and breaking Chris Gayle’s 10-year-old record.
With this remarkable knock, Allen not only guided New Zealand into the final but also etched his name in cricket history as the fastest centurion ever in T20 World Cup tournaments.
Finn Allen Smashes Fastest Century in T20 World Cup History
In the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2026, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bowl first. Batting first, South Africa posted 169 runs on the board.
In response, New Zealand chased down the 170-run target in just 12.5 overs in a dominant display of power-hitting.
Finn Allen remained unbeaten on 100 off just 33 balls, producing one of the most destructive innings ever seen in T20 cricket. From the very start, Allen and Tim Seifert attacked the South African bowlers relentlessly, putting them under immense pressure.
Allen brought up his half-century in just 19 balls, becoming the fastest player to score a fifty in T20 World Cup history, surpassing Glenn Phillips’ previous record of 22 balls.
He then completed his century on the 33rd ball of his innings, officially becoming the fastest centurion in T20 World Cup history. The previous record belonged to Chris Gayle, who scored a 47-ball century against England at the Wankhede Stadium in 2016.
Records Broken by Finn Allen
Fastest Century in T20 World Cup History
Finn Allen now holds the record for the fastest century ever scored in a T20 World Cup.
Fastest T20I Century Against a Full-Member Nation
This is the fastest T20 International century ever scored against a full-member ICC nation.
Joint Third-Fastest Century in T20I History
Overall, this knock is now the joint third-fastest century in T20 International cricket history.
Fastest Century Among Full-Member Batters (Joint)
Among players from full-member nations, Allen’s 33-ball century is jointly the fastest. He equals Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe, who scored a 33-ball hundred against Gambia in 2024.
Fastest T20I Centuries (By Balls Faced)
- 27 balls – Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) vs Cyprus, 2024
- 29 balls – Muhammad Fahad (Turkey) vs Bulgaria, 2025
- 33 balls – Finn Allen (New Zealand) vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026
- 33 balls – Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (Namibia) vs Nepal, 2024
- 33 balls – Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) vs Gambia, 2024
Highest Scores in T20 World Cup Knockout Matches
- 100* – Finn Allen vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026 Semi-final
- 96* – Tillakaratne Dilshan vs West Indies, The Oval, 2009 Semi-final
- 89* – Virat Kohli vs West Indies, Mumbai, 2016 Semi-final
- 86* – Alex Hales vs India, Adelaide, 2022 Semi-final
- 85* – Marlon Samuels vs England, Kolkata, 2016 Final
- 85 – Kane Williamson vs Australia, Dubai, 2021 Final
New Zealand Centuries in T20 World Cup History
- 123 – Brendon McCullum vs Bangladesh, 2012
- 104 – Glenn Phillips vs Sri Lanka, 2022
- 100* – Finn Allen vs South Africa, 2026
Finn Allen’s blistering 33-ball century will go down as one of the greatest knocks in T20 World Cup history, redefining aggressive batting on the biggest stage.
