Finn Allen will face issues against Gujarat Titans.
Finn Allen has been explosive against pace in the powerplay. However, early movement can still trouble him, as happens with almost every batter. It’s not surprising that most of Allen’s issues have come at KKR’s home venue – Eden Gardens.
At this ground, Finn Allen has an average of 14.33 and a strike rate of 195.45 in the powerplay. He has been dismissed three times in 22 balls. The ball has swung more prodigiously than at any other venue during the field restrictions, with an average swing of 1.13° in IPL 2026.
ALSO READ:
Unsurprisingly, Finn Allen will again face a massive threat, more so against the best pace attack in the competition – Gujarat Titans. In the powerplay, GT have been simply magnificent, led by Kagiso Rabada and well supported by Mohammed Siraj and Jason Holder. They will have the upper hand against KKR’s top order in favourable conditions.
For Allen, GT’s plan should be simple: taking the new ball away from a slightly fuller length, which has been the batter’s Achilles’ Heel this season. On all deliveries that swing or seam away, he averages a mere 8.25 and strikes at just 110 in powerplay this season. He has been dismissed as many as four times and plays around 60% false shots on such balls.
On all other deliveries, Allen has a collective average of 42 and a strike rate of 254.54 in the powerplay. He tends to get dismissed on fuller deliveries than the average powerplay batter – 6.50 metres compared to 7.31 metres. That also helps explain why his issues are more pronounced on big-swinging grounds, where fuller lengths give the ball more time to move in the air.
The lines will need to be typical around or just outside the off-stump line, where he has lost five of his six powerplay wickets. The reason is quite clear: the balls leaving him from this corridor induce edges since he drives on the up more often. Finn Allen drives around 46.03% of total powerplay deliveries and scores around 33.33% of total runs, while also getting out twice.
So, the idea should be to bowl fuller lengths that induce drive just outside the off-stump line. That will ensure he goes for those expansive drives. The in-air and off-deck away movement will ensure that a few of them produce outside edges early in the innings.
Kagiso Rabada has 16 wickets at an average of 17.50 in the powerplay this season. Against RHBs, he has nine scalps at 18.44 runs apiece and an economy rate of 8.74. Three of those have come against deliveries that swing or seam away from the batters, at an average of 11.66 and an economy rate of 7.24.
Between 5 and 8 meters, he has fetched six wickets at 12.67 runs apiece and an economy rate of 7.86 against RHBs. So, Rabada will be best suited to remove Finn Allen early in the innings. The likes of Mohammed Siraj and Jason Holder will also pose a massive threat at Eden Gardens.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
