How Finn Allen can fit into Royal Challengers Bangalore playing XI

Finn Allen smashed a ruthless 128 off 59 - a strike rate of 217 - for Wellington against Otago in a crucial Ford Trophy encounter on 28th February. On 10th March, he was selected by Royal Challengers Bangalore as Australian keeper-batsman Josh Philippe's replacement.

The knock referred to above was not the sole reason for Finn Allen's selection, it was just an illustration of his ability at the top of the order. He had an exceptional season in the Super Smash, where he finished top run-getter and his side, Wellington Firebirds, ended up lifting the trophy.

The fact that Finn Allen keeps wickets and can be explosive up top makes him a good option for Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, the question remains as to where the Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to fit him into their playing XI.

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Finn Allen: A potential game-changer for Royal Challengers Bangalore

Finn Allen batting against Auckland Aces in the Super Smash

Virat Kohli has made it clear that he will be opening for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2021 IPL. RCB are also lucky to have the gifted Devdutt Padikkal in their side. The talented young opener had an excellent run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 737 runs at an average of 147.40 and a strike-rate of 95.96.

Devdutt Padikkal in the Nets Practicing batting ahead of the IPL 2021. He looks solid and fine touch in the yesterday Nets sessions. pic.twitter.com/4oQBJ3oG08

— CricketMAN2 (@man4_cricket) April 8, 2021

It seems that RCB will start the tournament with the Kohli-Padikkal opening pair. However, there is also a line of thought that the duo might not be explosive enough. In the middle order, RCB already have the likes of Glenn Maxwell, AB De Villiers and Mohammed Azharuddeen.

In these circumstances, there's a chance Finn Allen can fit in at no. 3 for RCB.

The Wellington Firebirds beat the Otago Volts by 5 wickets to go 5 from 5 in the Men’s Super Smash. Finn Allen blasted his way to 92 not out off 43 ballsVolts ⚡️167/5N. Broom 57Firebirds 🔥 168/5F. Allen 92#SportsTalkNZ #SuperSmashNZ #CricketTalk pic.twitter.com/xUdAX1ky8l

— SportsTalkNZ (@Sports_Talk_NZ) January 14, 2021

In just 16 T20 matches, Finn Allen has hit 625 runs at an average of almost 45. His strike-rate is an impressive 187.68. Most of these runs have come in the Super Smash, New Zealand's domestic T20 tournament.

Finn Allen was the 2020-21 tournament's highest run-getter, with 512 runs scored at a strike-rate of 194. 374 of these runs came in boundaries; he hit 56 fours and 25 sixes, the highest for any player in the tournament.

Finn Allen was in a similar vein of form in the Ford Trophy, the domestic One-Day tournament in New Zealand. He scored 241 runs at a strike rate of 141, hitting 22 fours and 15 sixes.

So, even though Finn Allen doesn't have ample experience, his big-hitting ability and capacity to score with both conventional and unconventional shots hold him in good stead.

Finn Allen slays Bangladesh bowling in the third T20

He also made his international debut recently and smashed 71 off 29 runs in just his third international appearance. He opened against Bangladesh and his action-packed knock helped New Zealand make 141 in 10 overs.

These factors make him a strong prospect for the RCB.

It would be best for RCB to start with Virat Kohli and Finn Allen as openers, and allow Devdutt Padikkal, who has only recently joined the base, to ease back into the squad.

This could be a blessing in disguise for the RCB, for they can choose to test out the youngster in the initial stages of the tournament. Another option would be to play Finn Allen at no. 3, to provide cover if the Kohli-Padikkal duo fail to provide a swift start.

RCB's success this season could depend a lot on how they utilize their youngsters as the tournament progresses.