New Zealand opener Finn Allen delivered a performance for the ages on Wednesday, smashing a historic 33-ball century to power the Black Caps into the T20 World Cup 2026 final.

Chasing 170 at Eden Gardens, Allen’s unbeaten 100 dismantled an undefeated South African side in just 12.5 overs, securing a dominant nine-wicket victory.

The 26-year-old’s “hurricane” innings did not just win the game; it completely rewrote the record books.

Allen now holds the record for the fastest century in T20 World Cup history, obliterating Chris Gayle’s 47-ball mark set in 2016.

It also stands as the fastest T20I hundred ever scored against a Full Member nation, surpassing the 35-ball efforts of Rohit Sharma and David Miller.

Reflecting on his record-breaking night, Allen said, “I would say it’s up there. Just wanted to get into good positions and hit the ball. I wanted to put them on the back foot early.”

He was quick to credit his opening partner, Tim Seifert, noting, “The way Seifert batted and got us to a flier, it helped me as well. We wanted to hit straight and enjoyed it together.”

Here is the list of records shattered by Finn Allen:

Fastest T20 World Cup Century: 33 balls (previously 47 by Chris Gayle).

First T20 WC Knockout Ton: Only player to score a century in a semi-final or final.

Full Member Milestone: Fastest T20I century against a major cricketing nation.

Eden Gardens First: The first-ever T20I century scored at the iconic Kolkata venue.

Tournament Aggregate: Alongside Seifert, set the record for the highest pair aggregate in a single T20 WC (463 runs).