London [UK], December 10 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has been appointed mentor and batting coach for the men's Hundred team London Spirit, his first support-staff role with a franchise outside the Indian Premier League (IPL), as per ESPNcricinfo.

Karthik, a renowned commentator, has taken on a new role as the batting coach and mentor for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the reigning IPL champions, following his 2024 IPL retirement. He remains active in cricket, representing Sharjah Warriorz in the UAE's ILT20.

'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,' Spirit director of cricket Mo Bobat said in a statement.

'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,' he added.

Meanwhile, Tom Bobat serves as the team director at RCB.

'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,' Dinesh Karthik said.

'I can't wait to see the squad come together and to work with some exceptional cricketers next year,' he added.

Karthik, 40, played 18 years of international cricket in a stop-start career, appearing in 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 60 T20Is, and has played franchise T20 cricket in the SA20, the ILT20, and the IPL. (ANI)