New Delhi: London Spirit men’s 2026 hundred mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik said uncapped England all-rounder James Coles has a “rare” skill set, which is why he is attracting so much interest at the auction.
After a fierce bidding war between five teams, the 21-year-old was acquired by London Spirit for a whopping £390,000.
“First with the bat, I think this is the first time that he has been able to bat anywhere between No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6. He has also been very good at No. 3 at times, so we have really looked at that aspect. He is a left-hander, plays in the powerplay and has shown incredible skills with the ball. The fact that there is not a lot of that skill set in England prompted us to look at him strongly,” Karthik said after the auction.
Coles is a member of the England squad for the 2022 Under-19 World Cup and was recently named in the England Lions squad for the January 2025 tour of Australia. He made his debut for Sussex County Cricket Club at the age of 16 and in 2020 became the club’s youngest-ever debutant.
In last season’s County Championship, he scored 1,032 runs, including four centuries, at an average of 47 and added 20 wickets, while also proving himself to be a safe hand, taking 19 catches, most of them in the second over, and he excelled in the position.
Coles’ record in the T20 Blast last season was equally impressive. He scored 397 runs at an average of 33 and took 10 wickets at an economy rate of just over 9.
But it was in SA20 that this talented youngster caught everyone’s attention. While playing for the Eastern Cape Sunrisers, he accumulated 152 runs at a strike rate of 170.78 and took 5 wickets with left-arm spin.
“We got dry at the beginning and at the end. I don’t think there’s much to say but he’s been a guy with a huge upward curve. You could see walking into the auction he would be one of the most sought-after players,” Karthik said.
“Mo [Mo Bobat, Spirit director of cricket] I worked with him at the England Lions and I thoroughly enjoyed working with him as a player.
“We’ve had our eye on him for some time. He’s been part of our plans and the fact he’s performed so well of late shows why the team really wanted him. We’re very keen on him and we’re delighted we got him,” he said.
Coles is the fourth most expensive player acquired by the Top 100 this year. England’s Jofra Archer (£400,000), Phil Salt (£450,000) and Harry Brook (£465,000) were signed by Southern Braves, Welsh Flames and Leeds Sunrisers respectively before the auction.
Asked whether the high price tag would put pressure on the youngster, Karthik replied: “First of all, we know his personality and because we know him very well over a period of time working with him, we support his skills.
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“We also support him as a person. He’s a very orderly kid, someone who doesn’t get too carried away or too frustrated. Yes, the price is high, but at some point in life, when you perform well, you have to face it.
“I think he’s ready to deal with it because he seems to be a guy who’s shown a lot of growth in the recent past. The way he talks, the way he performs in the franchise league and the way we’ve watched him over a period of time all suggest his numbers are only going to go up. He’s definitely a future prospect for England, if not immediately, in the near future. Backing a guy like him is a great achievement for us.”
