A significant change has occurred in the Sharjah Warriors team ahead of the fourth season of the ILT20 league, which will be played in Dubai. Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis has withdrawn from the upcoming season, necessitating a replacement for the team. Notably, Sharjah Warriors has brought in a prominent figure who was the coach of the IPL 2025 champion team, RCB. This notable individual will now be seen participating as a player.
Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has joined the Sharjah Warriors team for the fourth season of ILT20. He will be replacing Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis, who has withdrawn from the team. Karthik possesses extensive experience in T20 cricket. He was part of the Mumbai Indians team that won the IPL in 2013 and also a member of the Indian team that won both the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
In recent years, Karthik has been associated with the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise as a batting coach, who won their first IPL title in 2025. Coincidentally, in IPL 2025, Karthik worked alongside Tim David in RCB, who is one of the overseas players for Sharjah Warriors in Season 4 of the DP World ILT20. It is worth noting that Dinesh Karthik announced his retirement from all formats of Indian cricket in June 2024, but his journey in T20 leagues continues.