Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have taken a punt on a youngster from New Zealand in IPL 2021, with 21-year-old Finn Allen replacing Australia’s Josh Philippe, who has opted out of the competition for personal reasons.

Allen has played just 13 T20 games in his career to date, and yet the unknown is sure to build up hype quickly. He had a stellar campaign in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, scoring 338 runs at 67.60, with his strike-rate of 119.01 the highest of any batsman in the competition to score at least 200 runs. He made 115 not out against West Indies and 87 against England, showing he could do it against the best sides in his age group.

However, even that effort pales in comparison to his exploits in the most recent Super Smash, New Zealand’s domestic T20 campaign, for Wellington Firebirds. The tyro smashed 512 runs in the competition, the best of any player, with his strike-rate (193.93) and average (56.88) the best and second best of all players to make at least 100 runs. He also hit the most half-centuries – two of which passed 90 – and the most sixes of any batsman.

In a chase of 165 against Central Stags, he blazed away to a 16-ball half-century, eventually falling for 66 off 26 having propelled his team to 107-0 in 8.3 overs before his dismissal.

That wasn’t the only time he got his team off to a flier in a chase. He blitzed a 20-ball 50 against Auckland Aces in December, setting up a last-over chase of 177.

He regularly dominated the scoring in opening stands with Devon Conway, another highly rated New Zealand batsman. In the return fixture against Auckland Aces, he blasted 66 of the 80 runs to be scored in the Powerplay, eventually falling in the 10th over for a 35-ball 73.

An unbeaten 43-ball 92 sealed a chase of 168 nearly single-handedly against Otago Volts.

And his New Year’s Day 91* helped Wellington Firebirds to a successful chase of 150 to win against Northern Knights.

His side unsurprisingly ended as champions, losing just one of 10 group stage games.

Allen himself idolises Kevin Pietersen, while, as an explosive wicketkeeper-batsman, the ‘New McCullum’ tag is not undeserved. RCB fans, be very, very excited about Finn Allen