New Zealand's Finn Allen, who went unsold at the IPL 2025 auction, has etched his name in the record books with a breathtaking display of power-hitting in the opening match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025. Playing for the San Francisco Unicorns against the Washington Freedom at the Oakland Coliseum on Friday, Allen smashed a record-breaking 151 runs off just 51 deliveries, including a staggering 19 sixes. This incredible feat surpassed Chris Gayle's long-standing record of 18 sixes in a T20 innings, setting a new benchmark for maximums in a men's T20 match.
Allen's innings was not only about the number of sixes but also the sheer pace at which he scored. He reached his half-century in a mere 20 balls and then accelerated to reach his century in just 34 balls – the fastest in MLC history, eclipsing Nicholas Pooran's 40-ball ton from the previous season and also the quickest T20 hundred by a New Zealand batter. Allen reached his 150 in a breathtaking 49 balls. His innings propelled the San Francisco Unicorns to a massive total of 269/3 in their 20 overs, the highest-ever team score in MLC history and the highest-ever men's T20 total in the United States.
Opening the batting with fellow New Zealander Tim Seifert, Allen immediately took charge, smashing five sixes within the first six overs of the match to race to 40 off just 14 balls. He continued his onslaught, showing no mercy to the Washington Freedom bowlers. The 26-year-old right-hander's innings comprised 5 fours alongside his record-setting 19 sixes, achieving a stunning strike rate of 296.08. Of his 151 runs, 134 came via boundaries.
The significance of Allen's achievement is amplified by the fact that he went unsold at the IPL 2025 auction held in December of last year, despite setting a base price of ₹2 crore. Allen's explosive innings can be viewed as a statement of his capabilities.
Prior to this record-breaking innings, Allen already held the record for the best career strike rate among all T20 batters with over 1,000 runs, boasting a phenomenal strike rate of 173.27. In January 2024, he broke Brendon McCullum's New Zealand T20I record by smashing 137 off 62 balls against Pakistan, equalling the T20I record for most sixes in an innings (16).
While Allen has made a mark in international cricket, his journey in franchise cricket has been mixed. He was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as a replacement player in the IPL 2021 season and was later bought in the 2022 IPL auction. However, he didn't get many opportunities to showcase his talent.
Allen's record-breaking innings in the MLC 2025 opener will undoubtedly turn heads and spark discussions among cricket fans and analysts worldwide. It remains to be seen whether this performance will translate into greater opportunities for him in future T20 leagues, including the IPL. For now, Finn Allen has cemented his place in T20 history with an innings that will be remembered for its sheer audacity and breathtaking power-hitting.
