New Delhi: Finn Allen of Kolkata Knight Riders (PTI Image)
Finn Allen made his maiden IPL century to lead Kolkata Knight Riders to a dominant eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals, and after the match he opened up on the shift in mentality behind his explosive transformation. Allen smashed an unbeaten hundred off 47 balls, reaching his power with a towering sixteen as KKR chased down 143 with 34 balls in the Arun Jaitley outfield.
He watches
All is not well with Suryakumar Yadav’s wrist? | Exclusive visuals
Speaking after being named man of the match, the New Zealander spoke about how he is trying to develop his game after a difficult start to the season. “(This is almost Finn Allen 2.0?) Oh, I think, you know, what I’ve been working on is trying to get more strings to my bow,” Allen said. He admitted that early setbacks forced him to take a more responsible approach when KKR lost a quick wicket during the chase. “Obviously we lost some early wickets, so I just tried to take a bit of responsibility and get the boys a win,” he added. Allen explained that he had to consciously switch gears during the innings, especially against quality bowling. “It was still a bit difficult in the beginning, as Axar played well and restricted us.
“So I just tried to get into strong positions and hit deep,” he said. Despite being known for his powerful six-hit, Allen stressed that adaptability has become a key part of his batting development. “If it’s not easy, stay there… I think that’s the model I’ve been trying to set with my batting,” he noted. Allen credited his work with coaches Shane Watson and Abhishek Nayar for helping him develop a more complete approach. He also revealed that previous frustrations in the tournament resulted from failing to change the start. “I feel like I had some firsts and it was very frustrating, but it’s nice here to have a little personal success,” Allen said. The Kiwi batsman also spoke about the speed of his innings in high-pressure chases. “When the situation comes, you have to forget about my batting and play the situation. If I stay there for a long time, I try to hit 40 balls,” he explained. Allen added that his time out of the starting lineup earlier in the season helped reset his mindset. “Sometimes it changes your perspective,” he said. “You come out of the team and you get a little mental recovery. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself at first.” This reset, combined with improved clarity, has translated into one of the most devastating innings of IPL 2026 and a timely return for KKR to the playoff race.