T20 World Cup 2026: Dinesh Karthik reacts to speculations about him being appointed as Afghanistan's mentor for marquee event

The charismatic Dinesh Karthik is the batting coach and mentor of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). His guidance was pivotal in helping RCB win their maiden title last year. The 40-year-old has also been commentating in marquee series and events. Ahead of The Hundred 2026, he was appointed as the mentor and batting coach of London Spirit.

As the warm-up matches in the T20 World Cup 2026 got underway on Monday, February 2, reports of Karthik joining the Afghanistan team as a mentor also emerged. However, the former India wicketkeeper reacted to a tweet claiming that the Blue Tigers had announced him as their new mentor for the marquee event. From his reaction, it seems that the reports are false.

Karthik played 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 60 T20Is during his international career, which spanned a couple of decades. He finished with 1025, 1752, and 686 runs across the three formats. Karthik also played 257 IPL games, amassing 4842 runs at an average of 26.32 and a strike rate of 135.37.

The former Tamil Nadu captain is known for his innovative shots while batting. He could hit all around the park, using unorthodox shots from time to time to unsettle the rhythm of the bowlers. There is no doubt that if he eventually joins Afghanistan, it will bode well for the Rashid Khan-led side.

Afghanistan made it to the semi-finals of the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in 2024. They were ousted by South Africa in the semis but received immense praise from fans as well as expert for their performance in the West Indies and the USA.

Afghanistan are placed in Group D alongside South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, and New Zealand. This group can be called the group of death. They will start their campaign on Sunday, February 7, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.