They missed a trick at the start of the tournament

Shaun Pollock, a former South African cricketer, believes that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) should have opted for Finn Allen and Tim Seifert as their primary opening pair in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Despite being a three-time champion, KKR has tried both foreign openers, but they have not yet opened the innings together for the team as they have done in international matches.

KKR began their season with Finn Allen as the leading opener alongside captain Ajinkya Rahane. As they faced a challenging start, they experimented with various combinations, including Tim Seifert and Sunil Narine, but have yet to find a successful partnership.

Before the IPL 2026 season, Finn Allen and Tim Seifert had shown effectiveness as a duo for New Zealand during the T20 World Cup 2026 in India. However, due to considerations for team balance and other overseas players, the team did not pursue an exclusively foreign opening pair.

“They missed a trick at the start of the tournament. The way those two had played, you should have started the tournament with two of the New Zealanders at the top,” Shaun Pollock said on Cricbuzz.

Zaheer Khan, a former Indian pacer, suggests that KKR should stick with Tim Seifert despite his lack of runs.

“I think they should stick with Seifert, if they have made the change now. We have seen in this format that if you stick with a guy long enough, if you believe in him, and if you believe in the process, at some stage, it rewards you, so I think KKR are also in that position. They started the season with Finn Allen, then they moved to Seifert,” Zaheer Khan said.

The dynamic KKR opener has scored just 19 runs in three games and is coming off two consecutive ducks ahead of their upcoming match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday, May 3.

“Lost a lot of weight, came in with a focused mindset” – Shaun Pollock praises Heinrich Klaasen’s stellar IPL 2026 campaign ahead of SRH vs KKR IPL 2026 match

Shaun Pollock highlighted Heinrich Klaasen’s efforts to improve his fitness and mindset after a disappointing performance with the Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 2026, where he scored only 138 runs in nine matches at an average of 19.71.

Klaasen has made significant strides in the IPL 2026, demonstrating remarkable consistency. The wicket-keeper has only failed to surpass the 30-run mark once this season, scoring 29 against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur recently.

“He’s been consistent, that’s been the key. With his experience, he’s absorbed a lot of pressure, and that is what you want from your man who you are paying as much as they are. Did not have the greatest SA10, to be brutally honest. He did a lot of training for two and a half months, lost a lot of weight, came in with a focused mindset. They probably want a little more of the other batters to step up and do a little bit better,” Shaun Pollock said.

“I think with that opening partnership that they have got, if you have got someone who can take the responsibility in the middle, and still has the ability to put teams under pressure, that is what you are after, because that gives freedom,” he added.

Heinrich Klaasen is currently the leading run-scorer among middle-order batters, with 414 runs in nine matches at an average of 59.14 and a strike rate of 157.41.

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Edited by Gokul Nair