IPL 2026: How Finn Allen unveiled beast mode with a ‘changed perspective’

NEW DELHI: Finn Allen carries the reputation of being the most destructive batter to have come out of New Zealand after Brendon McCullum. Franchise leagues covet him. A six-hitting machine, he holds the men’s T20 record for most sixes in an innings — 19 for San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket.

Despite earning his maiden IPL contract with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2021, the 27-yearold waited five years for his league debut. Even in Kolkata Knight Riders’ purple and gold this season, it took until his seventh innings to be his attacking best.

At the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday night, Delhi Capitals had little answer. KKR restricted the hosts to 142/8 despite Pathum Nissanka’s 50 and Ashutosh Sharma’s 39. Allen then made light of the chase, his 100 not out off 47 balls carrying KKR to 147/2 in 14.2 overs and an eight-wicket win.

Studded with ten sixes and five fours, it was a clinical display of power hitting. It resembled Allen’s unbeaten 33-ball century against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in the T20 World Cup semifinal just a couple of months ago.

He had failed to kick on from that high, though, warming the bench after three successive single-digit scores midway through this IPL. Introduced here as KKR’s ‘impact sub’, Allen admitted the break helped him reassess. “Sometimes, being left out changes your perspective. It allows time for mental refresh. I was putting on too much pressure on myself at the start,” said Allen.

The ease of his knock might suggest a batting paradise. It was not. Most batters struggled with the tacky surface, and KKR were 31/2 in the Powerplay. Allen showed he can stay aggressive on challenging tracks, reaching out to fuller deliveries and sending them straight over the ropes while the shorter balls were pulled towards midwicket and wide long-on with ease.

“I wanted to keep my intent. We lost a couple early. I knew that I had to take a bit of responsibility and bat a bit deeper. It helped me get into better positions,” added Allen.

“Finn was exceptional today. He’s got off to amazing starts. He’s one of the best in the world at doing that and putting pressure back on,” said Cameron Green, with whom Allen put on an unbroken 116-run third-wicket stand.

As Knight Riders make a late charge towards the playoffs, Allen sounded a warning to their rivals. “I’ve been working on having more strings in my bow,” he said.