'His experience will be invaluable to us' - London Spirit's director welcomes Dinesh Karthik as mentor in The Hundred tournament

Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has taken on his first coaching role outside the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the mentor and batting coach for London Spirit in The Hundred men's tournament, while also serving in a similar capacity for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) following his 2024 IPL retirement.Karthik, 40, continues to be active in cricket, currently playing for Sharjah Warriorz in the UAE's ILT20 tournament. Spirit director of cricket Mo Bobat welcomed Karthik's appointment, stating: "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 further added: "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."Karthik expressed his enthusiasm about the new role, saying: "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. 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," adding, "I can't wait to see the squad come together and to work with some exceptional cricketers next year."Karthik's cricket career spans 18 years of international cricket, during which he played 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 60 T20Is for India. His extensive experience includes over 250 IPL matches and participation in various franchise T20 tournaments including SA20 and ILT20.Tom Bobat currently serves as the team director at RCB, where Karthik is a mentor for the reigning IPL champions.