Finn Allen

New Zealand have produced one of the most destructive openers in Brendon McCullum who terrorised the bowlers throughout his career. Talking about explosive Kiwi openers, Finnley Hugh Allen is another one that comes to mind. Born in Auckland in 1999, he is a right-handed batter who is also known for his explosive style.

Finn Allen first played for New Zealand's Under-19 team in the 2016 World Cup, and again in 2018. While he was young in 2016, the 2018 World Cup was a key moment in his career. He scored the first century of the tournament against the West Indies on the opening day. He finished as New Zealand’s top run-scorer with 338 runs in that tournament.

Although he kept performing well in domestic cricket, Allen didn't get a call-up to the senior national team. In 2020, he was offered a contract by Wellington for the domestic season. He made the most of this chance, helping Wellington win the Super Smash title while becoming the top run-scorer of the tournament with 512 runs.

His strong performances in domestic cricket led to his first call-up to the senior national team for a T20 series against Bangladesh in March 2021. Allen impressed by scoring 71 runs from just 29 balls in his third T20I. Although he performed well, he missed out on a spot in New Zealand's squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE.

After his success in domestic cricket, Allen was selected by Bengaluru for the 2021 IPL season, but he didn’t get much playing time. In the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, he played a key role in helping New Zealand secure a dominant win against Australia in the opening match.

While Allen became a regular player in New Zealand's T20I team, he struggled in One-Day Internationals. His biggest achievement came on January 17, 2024, when he scored 137 runs off 62 balls against Pakistan in a T20I match. He hit 16 sixes, breaking the record for the most sixes by a Kiwi in a T20I innings.

Allen has played for various cricket teams worldwide and joined the Perth Scorchers for the 2024-25 Big Bash League season in Australia. Additionally, he returned to play for Auckland in domestic cricket. However, unfortunately, he could not get any team in the Indian Premier League auction for the 2025 season.

Finn Allen had a record-breaking BBL15 (2025-26) season, playing a key role in Perth Scorchers' title-winning campaign as he finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 466 runs in 11 games, including a blazing 51-ball maiden BBL century, while also setting a new record for most sixes in a single edition with 37. Interestingly, he had already been snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders for his base price of INR 2 crore at the IPL auction prior to the tournament, a move that soon looked like a steal. Allen carried that momentum into the 2026 T20 World Cup, scoring 298 runs in nine matches, highlighted by a sensational 33-ball hundred against South Africa at Eden Gardens in the semifinal. Although New Zealand eventually finished runners-up after losing to India in the final, Allen and his opening partner Tim Seifert lit up the tournament, including a record unbeaten 175-run stand against UAE, the highest partnership for any wicket in T20 World Cup history, with the duo averaging over 70 and earning the nickname 'Bash Brothers'.