IPL 2026: ‘I’ve been working on having more strings in my bow,' Allen

KKR’s Finn Allen celebrates his century against DC in New Delhi on Friday. Pic/PTI

Opener Finn Allen revealed that he has been adding dimensions to his game after his 47-ball 100 not out (5x4s, 10x6s) helped Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Capitals by eight wickets and 14 balls to spare at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

After starting the season with five losses (and a washout) in six games, KKR have turned things around with four wins in their last four games.

The game was a canter for KKR courtesy Allen's blitzkrieg aided by Cameron Green's quick 27-ball 33. KKR are seventh in the table with nine points.

Player-of-the-Match Allen said he had to be cautious after the team lost early wickets. "I've been working on having more strings in my bow. I had to be more responsible after a couple of early wickets. I tried to knuckle down early. It was challenging early on when Axar [Patel] bowled early. The strategy was to get in a good position and bat deep," he said.

On Allen's performance, Rahane said, "Happy for Allen, he was struggling and worked hard. I want to praise our bowlers, they've done well so consistently, spinners and death bowlers. We've been working hard on the fielding."

All-rounder Cameron Green also lavished praise on his Kiwi teammate. "To lose those [five] games and come back means a lot. We fought really hard to get back into it, and our bowlers have been awesome," Green said at the post-match press conference.

DC, on the other hand, have all but ended their hopes of making it to the Playoffs. Only opener Pathum Nissanka (50 in 29 balls) and Ashutosh Sharma (39 in 28 balls) showed some spark for the hosts.

47
No. of balls taken by Finn Allen to score his century against DC on Friday - the fastest ever by a KKR batter