Indian pacer Navdeep Saini stunned explosive New Zealand batter Finn Allen during Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)’s intra-squad match at Eden Gardens on Friday. Allen, who was signed by KKR for Rs 2 crore, gave the Ajinkya Rahane-led Purple Knights a flying start in their chase of 200 against the Golden Knights, captained by Rinku Singh. He scored a quickfire 23 off just 10 balls before Saini uprooted and sent his middle stump cartwheeling a few yards back.
The 26-year-old shuffled across the off-side to attempt a paddle scoop, but was beaten by pace as the ball deflected off the bat onto the stumps. Saini, who went unsold during the IPL 2026 auction, is with the KKR team ahead of the season as a net bowler.
Finn Allen got out early but the trailer has been shown, the picture will be seen in the IPL match. pic.twitter.com/eYBvOwCHdO
— Ayush (@AyushBandhe) March 20, 2026
During the recently-concluded T20 World Cup, Allen scored 298 runs in eight innings at an average of 49.66 and a strike rate of 200, including an unbeaten 100 (33) against South Africa in the semifinal at Kolkata, which is the fastest century in the tournament’s history.
Meanwhile, the Purple Knights beat the Golden Knights by six wickets, courtesy of Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s century. Raghuvanshi slammed an unbeaten 103 off just 55 balls to help his side overhaul the target with four balls to spare.
Earlier in the match, Tim Seifert, Sarthak Ranjan, and captain Rinku Singh’s quickfire knocks took the Golden Knights to 199/8 in 20 overs. Seifert and Sarthak set the platform, scoring 45 and 37 respectively, before Rinku’s cameo of 40 from 25 balls.
KKR will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign on March 29 with a clash against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. Following their opener, KKR will return to Eden Gardens, where they are slated to play evening fixtures against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants.
(With IANS Inputs)