Finn Allen Breaks Chris Gayle's Sixes Record As MLC 2025 Kicks Off With California Fireworks - WATCH 19 Sixes

Finn Allen set the Major League Cricket (MLC) on fire with a record-breaking knock during the 2025 season opener at the Oakland Coliseum, California, early Friday (June 13) morning, India time. The right-handed batter hammered 151 off just 52 balls to help San Francisco Unicorns beat defending champions Washington Freedom by 123 runs.

Allen, 26, opened the batting with his New Zealand compatriot Tim Seifert after Freedom captain Glenn Maxwell, who took over the reins from fellow Australian Steven Smith, won the toss and asked the Unicorns to set a target in the replay of last season's final.

Records Broken By Finn Allen

It took three balls for Allen to tee off, a six pocketed into the stands. Ben Sears, who managed to keep the openers quiet for the first four deliveries, delivered a fullish delivery, and it was disdainfully dismissed over long leg. It was just the beginning of Allen's pyrotechnics.

By the end of the power play, Unicorns reached 67/2 with Allen unbeaten on 40 off 14. The Kiwi batter, however, faced only a couple of balls in the next two overs as Sanjay Krishnamurthi raced from 1 off 3 to 28 off 12, a passage of play which witnessed the 22-year-old hit Rachin Ravindra for four successive sixes.

Finn Allen brought up his fifty in the 9th over, reaching the mini-milestone in only 20 balls. He added the next 50 runs in 14 deliveries, thus breaking Nicholas Pooran's fastest MLC century record (40 balls). It's also the fastest T20 ton by a New Zealand player.

He was eventually dismissed by Mitchell Owen in the 18th over, but before that, the flamboyant batter from Auckland had already stitched his name in the cricket record books.

During his 51-ball knock, Allen hit 19 sixes -- the most in a men's T20 innings, a feat previously shared by West Indies great Chris Gayle and Sahil Chauhan of Estonia (18 balls). Allen's 150 (in 49 balls) is also the fastest in T20s, surpassing Dewald Brevis' record (52 balls).

The Unicorns' innings was laced with 28 sixes, a tally only behind Baroda's 37 (vs Sikkim) in a T20 match. The last season's losing finalists ended up posting 269/5, the highest total in the history of MLC. In reply, Maxwell & Co. could manage only 146, getting all out in 13.1 overs.=

Finn Allen and IPL

Allen is a regular in T20 leagues around the world, and he has already established himself as a matchwinner in the Pakistan Super League, Bangladesh Premier League, Vitality Blast, etc.

The Kiwi, however, found no bidders at the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction last December. He entered the auction at a base price of INR 2 crore.

He did join the Royal Challengers Bengaluru camp in IPL 2021 as a replacement for Josh Philippe but didn't get a game. In 52 T20Is, he has scored 1285 runs at a strike rate of 163.27. He already has two T20I centuries -- 137 vs Pakistan and 107 vs Scotland.

What Next: MLC 2025

Known for his ability to hit sixes with consummate ease, Allen is expected to dominate bowlers in the third edition of Major League Cricket. He will be in action on Sunday morning (India time) when San Francisco Unicorns take on Los Angeles Knight Riders in the third match of the MLC 2025 at the same venue.

The six-team league will conclude with the season finale in Dallas on July 14.

Major League Cricket 2025 Guide: Live Streaming Details

Where to watch Major League Cricket 2025 live in India?

Live streaming of Major League Cricket 2025 will be available on the JioHotstar app and website in India.