London Spirit, now co-owned by the MCC and the Tech Titans, have appointed former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik as the batting coach and mentor for the men's team. Karthik, who was part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) support staff in the same capacity, will be reuniting with head coach Andy Flower and Director of Cricket Mo Bobat, who were also appointed in the same roles as the IPL franchise in a revamp of the backroom staff, following the private investment into all eight franchises in the competition.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome DK to London Spirit. He is a truly original thinker in our game and his vast experience in short-format and franchise cricket will be invaluable to us. He’s also great fun to work with and brings an infectious energy and enthusiasm to everything he does," Bobat said on Karthik's appointment. "The signing of another elite individual with significant stature in the game demonstrates our ambition, and the importance we place on ensuring that our players receive the best possible support."
Spirit, who have won a total of four matches across 16 games in the last two seasons, finishing at the bottom in 2024 and in the penultimate seventh spot in 2025, will be hoping for the trio to recreate the RCB magic, having led the franchise to the IPL title six months ago. Karthik, who has been a regular member of Sky Sports' commentary team, was looking forward to be part of a franchise this time around in the Hundred, having seen the growth of the tournament first hand.
"What an exciting time to be joining London Spirit! When I heard about the plans and the ambitions of Mo, MCC and the Tech Titans, I was really enthusiastic to join. To spend the English summer working at Lord’s is truly a dream come true," Karthik, who is currently plying his trade in the ILT20 for Sharjah Warriorz as a player, said. "It is the ground where I made my debut for India and I played my last Test match – Lord’s is very close to my heart. I can’t wait to see the squad come together and to work with some exceptional cricketers next year.”
The Hundred will have a first-ever player auction ahead of the sixth edition while allowing each of the eight franchises to pre-sign four players each.
