GT Vs KKR, IPL 2026: Why Is Finn Allen Not Playing For Kolkata Knight Riders In Tonight's Indian Premier League Match?

Under fire Indian Premier League side, the Kolkata Knight Riders have dropped their first choice opener Finn Allen to hand debut to his New Zealand teammate Tim Seifert, who is going to play his first game in the IPL since 2022.

When KKR had bought the Kiwi opening duo in the auction, they were expected to open together but the team management went with other options, keeping Finn Allen in the playing XI for five straight matches.

Catch The GT Vs KKR IPL 2026 Match Live

The right-hand batter's best score is 37 runs, which came against the Mumbai Indians in their opener. In his next 4 matches, Allen accumulated just 44 runs - (28 Vs SRH, 6 Vs PBKS, 9 Vs LSG and 1 Vs CSK).

That is a major reason why the Knight Riders have decided to bring in Tim Seifert, whose presence almost feels like a debut, given the fact that this will just be his 4th appearance in the world's richest T20 league.

This will be his first game in the IPL since 2022 and first for KKR since 2021. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane didn't openly talk about this change but he did say that KKR wants to be more fearless in the opening moments.

Seifert has scored 2279 runs in 90 outings for New Zealand, smashing 17 fifties with a strike rate of over 145.

"Today, we just want to play fearless cricket and stay in the moment. Just one change. Tim Seifert comes in place of Finn Allen."

GT Vs KKR, IPL 2026: Playing XIs

Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ashok Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Tim Seifert, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi