IPL 2026: After a break, ‘Finnisher’ finally checks in for KKR

KOLKATA: Kolkata Knight Riders have struggled to lock in a settled opening pair since releasing Phil Salt ahead of the 2025 IPL mega auction. The England international had been pivotal in their 2024 title run alongside Sunil Narine, giving KKR explosive starts. But the combinations tried since haven’t yielded the same consistency.

The problem persisted into this season as well, until Finn Allen offered a glimmer of hope. It was perhaps a little late in the campaign. KKR initially backed Allen over compatriot Tim Seifert, but he failed to fire consistently and was dropped after five games.




Seifert’s stint did little to change fortunes, managing just 19 runs, including two ducks, from three innings. That prompted KKR to restore Allen at the top and he responded emphatically.

Coming back after a brief break, Allen looked a transformed batter, smashing a match-winning 93 off just 35 balls against Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens on Saturday.

“You know, when you go out of the side, you have time to relax and take a breath and, I guess, look at things from a different perspective,” Allen said. “I love playing cricket. I love batting. And I probably wasn’t enjoying it as much as I should have because I was putting so much pressure on myself. Having those few games off really did me a good thing.”

Allen did ride his luck, being dropped thrice, but made it count against what he described as one of the best bowling attacks in the competition, on a surface where stroke-making wasn’t easy.

“Today it was definitely tricky at the start. We knew that and we were up against two of the best opening bowlers,” he said, referring to Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada.

With Ajinkya Rahane falling early, Allen assumed responsibility. “I just wanted to be there for a long time. I knew I had to take a bit of responsibility.”

Keeping it simple proved effective. “If it’s there, try and hit it. If not, just rotate strike,” Allen said. It’s the kind of clarity KKR will hope brings stability to their long-standing opening dilemma.

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