While pundits and social media spent weeks dissecting Ajinkya Rahane’s tactical choices and polarising KKR captaincy, the mood inside the Kolkata Knight Riders camp remained a world apart from the external noise. Fresh off a breathtaking, historic 35-ball 93 against Gujarat Titans, explosive opener Finn Allen spoke candidly about how the captain and the support staff built an environment for success during the final stretch of the tournament.
Speaking at the post-match press conference after their 29-run victory over GT at Eden Gardens, Allen explained how a nightmare start resulted in the team taking a microscopic, game-by-game approach.
“One thing we’ve done really well this season is stay composed. Even when we had a tough start, the dressing room remained calm and that’s credit to the support staff and Jinx for driving that mindset through the group,” Allen said.
“We know we need to win the last two matches to have any chance of qualifying, so the focus is simply on preparing well, training hard and doing our job.”
However, his transition to the tournament was far from smooth, leading to a string of low scores and eventually being dropped from the playing XI. “At the start of the tournament, I was putting far too much pressure on myself to perform, and it was all self-inflicted,” Allen admitted.
Ironically, a stint on the sidelines provided the perfect recipe for the New Zealand batter to rediscover his explosive form. By stepping away from the boundary ropes, he managed to detach himself from the crushing weight of external expectations. “When you’re out of the side, you get time to relax, take a breath and look at things differently,” he explained.
