3 teams where Finn Allen would have been a great fit in IPL 2024 ft. Gujarat Titans
New Zealand opening batter Finn Allen has seemingly overcome his rough patch and is on the path to fulfilling his true potential. The explosive batter is having a memorable home series against Pakistan, with the most recent outing in the third T20I, yielding 137 runs off just 62 deliveries.
Allen not only recorded the highest T20I score by a New Zealand batter, he also equalled the record for most sixes scored in a T20I innings. The 24-year-old's blistering knock helped the Blackcaps amass 224/7 in the first innings. It eventually helped them to win the contest by 45 runs and seal the series as well with two games to spare.
If Allen continues with this form, his absence in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) will be even stranger to comprehend, considering all of the other in-form T20 players get to mark their presence in the marquee league.
The opening batter, unfortunately, did not get the opportunity to play a match in the IPL despite being part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) from 2021 to 2023. He was up for grabs in the recently concluded 2024 IPL mini-auction but did not attract any bids and was ultimately unsold.
On that note, let us take a look at three teams where Finn Allen would have been a great fit in IPL 2024.
#1 Gujarat Titans
One of the franchises that Finn Allen would have fitted perfectly into is the Gujarat Titans (GT). The IPL 2022 champions have a crucial campaign ahead of them as they look to move forward with Shubman Gill as captain, following Hardik Pandya's unprecedented departure.
While the skipper, also the reigning Orange Cap winner, occupies one slot in the top order, there have been question marks surrounding his opening partner. While Matthew Wade and Wriddhiman Saha have done well in patches, neither are credible options in the long run.
With Kane Williamson, Rashid Khan and David Miller as the other overseas candidates, GT could have made a bargain buy in the form of Allen at the auction. Another approach that GT can consider is Gill opening the innings with Sai Sudharsan, giving a left-hand-right-hand combination, but it lacks the potential firepower that Gill and Allen could have brought together.
With Williamson placed to come in at No.3, there is a lack of explosiveness at the top for GT, which Allen could have brought with him at a reasonable price as well.
#2 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
The opening combination has been a huge concern for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and it mirrors their overall performances in recent seasons as well. KKR have struggled to replace Shubman Gill at the top of the order, and while they do have a promising-looking partnership in Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Venkatesh Iyer ahead of the 2024 season, they lack credible options on the bench.
Jason Roy is far from the player he was while Sunil Narine can also no longer be considered as an option at the top. As a result, Allen would have been a good fit with the two-time champions, particularly considering that Gurbaz did not have the best of maiden campaigns in the IPL last year.
#3 Punjab Kings
Another franchise where there is a lack of solidity at the top is the Punjab Kings (PBKS). The 2014 IPL finalists had a set combination in Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal a couple of years back, but a lot has changed since then.
Their current opening options to partner Shikhar Dhawan at the top include Jonny Bairstow, Atharva Taide, and Prabhsimran Singh. All of them have been tried and tested, but none have proven to be the right choice in the long run.
Although Bairstow seems a good fit on paper, he had an ordinary season in 2022, and missed the 2023 edition altogether, making him an unreliable prospect. To add to that, Prabhsimran's inconsistency and Taide's inexperience also do not augur well for the top order.
Allen would have fitted well alongside Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order, giving the team a solid left-hand-right-hand combination. Furthermore, PBKS also have an overseas slot to spare, with Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone and Kagiso Rabada holding the other three spots.
Will the New Zealand star land in the IPL in the near future? Let us know what you think.