Finn Allen gears up for IPL sojourn after losing his favourite bat

Finn Allen, the 21-year-old left-handed batsman, got a pleasant surprise after he was picked to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Allen came into the fore after Josh Philippe, who made his IPL debut last season in the UAE, was announced unavailable for the entire upcoming IPL season.

Even as Allen is all set to ply his trade in the cash-rich T20 league in India, he won’t be having the bat that he used in the 2020-21 Super Smash. The southpaw broke his ‘lucky bat’ while playing for the Wellington Firebirds in their final against Canterbury Kings. The new bat didn’t bring much luck for him as he got out in the very first ball he faced with it.

I got out first ball, so there you go: Finn Allen

“It was a beautiful bat, and it was a shame it had to go, but that’s what happens in T20, isn’t it,” the Auckland-born Allen was quoted as saying in stuff.co.nz.

“As soon as I was walking out to bat, they were giving me a bit of stick for it and once it broke, they also gave me a bit of stick for it saying, ‘What’s he going to do now without his lucky bat?’ and then I got out first ball, so there you go,” he stated.

As far as the IPL is concerned, former Kiwis’ head coach Mike Hesson, also the director of cricket operations at the RCB, called him up. After the sudden call-up, Allen was over the moon and is raring to take the field in the prestigious T20 league.

“He asked if I was interested in coming and I was like, you don’t even need to ask me that one – it’s my dream come true. It’s so exciting and pretty surreal. I couldn’t really believe it. It took a while to settle in and now with all the media and everything it’s kicking in how real it all is,” he added.

Allen played a crucial role for the Firebirds in the Super Smash as he ended as the leading run-scorer with 512 runs at an average and strike-rate of 56.88 and 193.93 respectively. Along with six half-centuries, he also smashed 56 fours and 25 sixes.