London Spirit seem determined to build their own version of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The structure is almost identical, the leadership group is the same, and now the franchise has added the final piece of the puzzle in Dinesh Karthik. Months after guiding RCB to their maiden IPL title as batting coach and mentor, Karthik has taken up the exact same role at London Spirit ahead of the 2026 edition of The Hundred.
For a cricketer who retired only last year, this second chapter is unfolding with ridiculous speed. Not to mention, Karthik quickly became a fan favourite after he started to work as a cricket pundit when he was in the twilight of his IPL career.
Karthik links up again with RCB mates
Karthik’s appointment marks his first coaching role in The Hundred, but it feels like a continuation of what he began at RCB. Mo Bobat, Spirit’s director of cricket, also holds the same position at RCB. Andy Flower, the head coach at both clubs, leaned heavily on Karthik during the IPL-winning campaign.
London Spirit have now imported this entire leadership spine, betting that the equation which transformed RCB from perennial underachievers into champions can be replicated in a 100-ball competition. Among players, they have all the tools as well, with David Warner leading the charge alongside the likes of Kane Williamson, Jamie Smith, Ashton Turner and Jamie Overton.
Karthik, 40, brings with him one of the most experienced batting minds of the modern era. Across 180 international caps and 257 IPL matches, he has played every role T20 cricket can demand. At RCB, his shift into mentoring aligned perfectly with the franchise’s dramatic rise in 2025. Under the Bobat-Flower-Karthik axis, Bengaluru built one of the strongest XIs in league history and finally won a title that had eluded them since 2008. That success appears to have caught the attention of Spirit’s new investors and decision-makers.
