Finn Allen, unsold in IPL for 3 years, shatters Chris Gayle's world record, hits fastest T20 150 with 19 sixes in MLC
Finn Allen launched 19 sixes in his 151 off just 51 deliveries — a ferocious innings that not only stunned spectators but rewrote the format’s record books.
Finn Allen, who has gone unsold in the IPL for three years in a row, went into a never-before-seen six-hitting spree in the first match of the Major League Cricket (MLC), breaking the world record for most sixes in T20s. Playing for the San Francisco Unicorns, Finn Allen, an opening batter of New Zealand, obliterated the Washington Freedom bowling attack at Oakland Coliseum on Friday, breaking multiple records, including Chris Gayle’s long-standing world mark for most sixes in a T20 innings.
Allen launched 19 sixes en route to a sensational 151 off just 51 deliveries — a ferocious innings that not only stunned spectators but rewrote the format’s record books. His power-hitting spree surpassed the previous record of 18 sixes jointly held by Chris Gayle (2017) and Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan (2024), setting a new global benchmark for maximums in a men’s T20 match.
Opening the batting alongside fellow Kiwi Tim Seifert, Allen wasted no time asserting dominance. Within the first six overs, he had already smashed five sixes and raced to 40 off just 14 balls. The 26-year-old brought up his half-century in just 20 balls and soon accelerated further, reaching his fourth career T20 century in just 34 balls — the fastest ever in MLC history, surpassing Nicholas Pooran’s 40-ball ton from the previous season.
Finn Allen was unsold in IPL
Allen, who was signed up by Royal Challengers Bengaluru as a replacement for Josh Philipe in IPL 2021, did not get any game for the current champions that year. He put his name up in the auction next year but did not find any takers. He went unsold in the mega auction in December last year, where he put his base price at ₹2 crore.
The attacking right-hander was determined to show the world his true potential on Friday. He reached his 150 in just 49 balls, the fastest 150 in all of T20 cricket, eclipsing Gayle’s 50-ball 150 during his record-breaking 175* in the IPL. The milestone came with his 19th six, an authoritative pull over deep midwicket, which also made him the most prolific six-hitter in a single T20 innings.
Finn Allen targeted every Washington bowler with brutal efficiency
He hit Mitchell Owen for four sixes, including one that brought up his 100. Saurabh Netravalkar, the experienced left-armer, was dispatched for three towering sixes.
Even spinner Glenn Phillips wasn’t spared — he was smoked for a hat-trick of sixes in the only over that he bowled.
Allen’s innings featured 5 fours and 19 sixes, showcasing his dominance in clearing the ropes rather than relying on ground strokes. He was eventually dismissed in the 18th over for 151, caught by Glenn Phillips while attempting a 20th six, off Mitchell Owen.
Thanks to Allen’s onslaught, San Francisco Unicorns piled up 269 for 5 — the highest-ever men’s T20 total recorded in the United States, eclipsing previous MLC and American T20 records. It was a dominant statement in the tournament opener against the reigning champions.
Allen’s latest feat adds to his growing reputation as one of the most destructive batters in world cricket. He now boasts over 4,100 T20 runs at a strike rate of 173.27, the highest among batters with more than 1,000 runs. This innings also comes just months after his record-breaking 137 off 62 balls against Pakistan in January 2024, where he had equalled Hazratullah Zazai’s T20I record with 16 sixes.
