IPL 2026: 'The few games off really helped me' Allen

KKR opener Finn Allen during his 35-ball 93 against GT in Kolkata on Saturday. Pic/IPL

Opener Finn Allen, who blasted a 35-ball 93 (4x4s, 10x6s) as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) tamed Gujarat Titans (GT) by 29 runs, revealed that sitting out for a few games after a poor start to IPL-19, helped him clear his mind and come back stronger.

The win at the Eden Gardens on Saturday ensured KKR's thin qualifying hopes stay alive, while keeping GT waiting for their Playoffs berth confirmation.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green remained unbeaten on 82 and 52 as KKR posted 247-2. GT managed 218-4 with skipper Shubman Gill (85 off 49), Jos Buttler (57 off 35) and Sai Sudharsan (53 not out off 28) putting up the fight.

"When you're out of the side, you get time to relax, take a breath and look at things differently," IPL debutant Allen said about his more measured approach after the three-match break. "I love batting, but I probably wasn't enjoying it as much because of the pressure I was putting on myself. Those few games off really helped and it's been a great learning experience," added the explosive New Zealand opener, who was dropped after five matches.

Out of his "self-inflicted pressure," Allen, 27, has looked menacing in the four innings since, which included an unbeaten 100 off 47 in Delhi. "When I'm relaxed, I watch the ball better, get into better positions and become a better cricketer," the Kiwi pointed out.

Raghuvanshi's 44-ball knock (4x4s, 7x6s) was his best in the IPL and Allen was all praise for him. "Starboy! He's an incredible player and continues to expand his game. He can play some unbelievable shots. It's really exciting for the franchise to have someone so young performing so consistently and it's great for Indian cricket as well. He's a good kid," Allen gushed about the 21-year-old.

Allen also lauded Varun Chakravarthy, who was carrying a hairline fracture in his left foot. "It means a lot to the group when players are willing to push through pain for the team," he said.

Gill and GT's assistant coach Parthiv Patel attributed their defeat to the many dropped catches. Allen was let off twice before he reached 35. "When you're playing high scoring games against quality batters, you don't get many opportunities. We didn't deserve to win this one," Patel said.

240
No. of runs scored by Finn Allen in his last four games, after three-match break, @ 80.00

81
No. of runs scored by Finn Allen in his first five matches of the ongoing IPL season @ 16.20