Finn Allen of Kolkata Knight Riders (ANI Photo)
KOLKATA: Kolkata Knight Riders have struggled to secure an established starting pair since releasing Phil Salt ahead of the IPL mega auction 2025. The England international had been instrumental in their 2024 title run alongside Sunil Narine, giving KKR explosive starts. But the combinations tried since then have not yielded the same consistency.The problem persisted this season as well, until Finn Allen offered a glimmer of hope. Maybe it was a little late in the campaign. KKR initially backed Allen over compatriot Tim Seifert, but he failed to fire consistently and was eliminated after five games. Seifert’s season did little to change fortunes, managing only 19 runs, including two ducks, in three innings. That prompted KKR to restore Allen to the top and he responded emphatically.Returning after a short break, Allen looked like a transformed batsman, hitting a match-winning 93 off just 35 balls against the Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens on Saturday.“You know, when you go out on 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 free games really did something good for me.”Allen took advantage of his luck and fell three times, but made it count against what he described as one of the best bowling attacks in the competition, on a surface where hitting was not easy.“Today was definitely tough at the beginning. We knew that and we faced two of the best starting bowlers,” he said, referring to Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada.
What aspect of Finn Allen’s game contributed the most to his success?
With Ajinkya Rahane falling early, Allen took the responsibility. “I just wanted to be there for a long time. I knew I had to take a little responsibility.”Keeping it simple proved effective. “If it’s there, try to hit it. If not, just swing it around,” Allen said. It’s the kind of clarity that KKR hopes will bring stability to their old starting dilemma.
