Kolkata: New Zealand stormed into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final after a dominant nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the first semifinal at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday. The win was powered by a sensational record-breaking century from Finn Allen.
Chasing a target of 170 runs, New Zealand completed the chase in just 12.5 overs, finishing at 173/1. Allen smashed an unbeaten 100 off just 33 balls, registering the fastest century in T20 World Cup history and delivering one of the most explosive innings of the tournament.
Earlier, Tim Seifert gave New Zealand a flying start with an aggressive 58 off 33 balls before being dismissed by Kagiso Rabada. Allen continued the assault, hitting boundaries and sixes at will to guide the Black Caps comfortably into the final.
South Africa, after being asked to bat first, scored 169/8 in 20 overs. Their innings got off to a shaky start with early dismissals of Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton. Captain Aiden Markram scored 18 runs but failed to stabilise the innings.
In the middle order, Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs added some crucial runs, while Marco Jansen played a brilliant knock of 55 off 30 balls, helping South Africa reach a competitive total.
However, the total proved insufficient against New Zealand’s explosive batting display. With this victory, the Black Caps have reached their second Men’s T20 World Cup final, where they will face the winner of the India vs England semifinal in Mumbai.
