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Allen will miss the beginning of the India T20I series if the Scorchers make it to the BBL finals
Allen will miss the beginning of the India T20I series if the Scorchers make it to the BBL finals
New Zealand opener Finn Allen may miss the start of the upcoming five-match T20I series in India because of his Big Bash League (BBL) commitments.
The series begins on January 21 in Nagpur and is seen as key preparation for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. It follows New Zealand’s three ODIs in India from January 11–17.
Allen might only be available from the fourth T20I on January 28 if his team, the Perth Scorchers, reach the BBL final scheduled for January 25. The Scorchers finish their league stage against the Melbourne Stars on January 17. If they don’t make the finals, Allen should be free for the entire T20I series.
“Pending selection, I’ll head straight to India once the Big Bash finishes up for us,” Allen said.
The 26-year-old is one of five players who signed casual contracts, giving them flexibility to balance playing for New Zealand, staying in the high-performance system, and joining overseas leagues.
Allen stressed that representing New Zealand remains his top priority. “Playing for New Zealand is still the pinnacle for me. Cricket is changing every year, but New Zealand Cricket has been great to work with. I’m confident about getting back into Black Caps cricket after the Big Bash,” he said.
For the Scorchers, Allen is set to open alongside Australia’s T20I captain Mitchell Marsh. This will mark his return to competitive cricket after a foot stress fracture in July during the Major League Cricket (MLC).
In the MLC opener, Allen smashed 151 runs, including a record 19 sixes, for San Francisco Unicorns against Washington Freedom.
His last international appearance came in March, when he scored 27 off 12 balls in New Zealand’s eight-wicket win over Pakistan in Wellington.