Last Updated on 4 days ago by Charbel Coorey
Finn Allen is set to play in the 5th T20 against India at Thiruvananthapuram. The match will mark his first T20I for New Zealand since March 2025 against Pakistan. He smashed 50 (20) and 27 (12) in his last two matches in Mount Maunganui and Wellington respectively.
The star opener arrives to India after playing a key role in Perth Scorchers’ sixth Big Bash League (BBL) Title.
Allen finished the tournament as the highest run-scorer with 466. He averaged 42.36 with a magnificent strike rate of 184.18. His tally of 38 sixes was a record for a single BBL season.
Finn Allen set to play 5th T20 against India ahead of huge few months ahead for star opener
Allen is officially part of the New Zealand squad for the 5th T20. He will have a key role to play in ensuring the Black Caps finish the five-match series with two wins. Then, he and New Zealand embark on what promises to be an exciting T20 World Cup campaign.
“Kristian Clarke and Tim Robinson have been released from the BLACKCAPS T20 squad in India, with James Neesham, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Seifert now in camp. Finn Allen will be the final squad member to join the side on Thursday in Trivandrum,” New Zealand Cricket wrote on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week.
Allen’s form will be crucial to New Zealand’s hopes in the upcoming T20 World Cup. The Black Caps are in the “group of death” alongside South Africa, Afghanistan, UAE and Canada in Group D. The top two teams from each group qualify for the Super Eights stage.
Following the World Cup, Allen will join the Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). The INR 2 crore price tag looks like a bargain given the opener’s form, and he is excited to join the three-time IPL winners.
“Any time you get to play in the IPL it’s exciting and to be with a franchise like Kolkata. They’ve had a lot of success in the past. And we’ve got an extremely experienced list as well and a good group of boys,” Allen said in a recent interview for CricBlog.
“I’m excited to go over there and see what we can do.”
Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield International Stadium will host the 5th T20 between India and New Zealand on Saturday January 31.
