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.