When RCB’s Entire Management Ran After James Coles, The Latest England ODI Squad Entrant

How RCB management went after Coles [Source: Circle of Cricket, @Sussex/X.COM]

Sussex cricketer James Coles was picked for his maiden international assignment as the England think-tank roped him in for the upcoming ODI series against India, starting right after the T20Is. Coles, a promising all-rounder in the English circuit, was on England’s radar for a while, and the 22-year-old was deservingly selected by the management.

A hard-hitting batter and a slow left-arm orthodox spinner, Coles could prove to be England’s X-factor against India, and in recent months, the star player has been in demand in franchise cricket as well.

Recently, he was picked by The Hundred franchise, London Spirit, for the upcoming season, and ironically, the London Spirit management includes the RCB backroom staff, comprising Dinesh Karthik, Andy Flower, Mo Bobat, and Freddie Wilde.

How the RCB trio bagged Coles for London Spirit

The Hundred 2026 auction took place a couple of months ago, and London Spirit were one of the franchises interested in acquiring the services of James Coles, the highly talented English all-rounder. However, the task was not easy as the coaching team had to be convinced of his talent.

In a video that has gone viral after Coles’ England call-up, the London Spirit coaching team- Andy Flower, Mo Bobat, and Freddie Wilde are discussing the prospect of signing Coles. Wilde works as an analyst for RCB and the Spirit, and in the video, he has been tasked with convincing Flower to go after the youngster at the auction.

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This how the RCB TRIO bagged JAMES COLES for London Sprits in "The Hundred" auction

Jul 3, 2026, 10:58 PM

Wilde is sharing Coles’ statistics from the 2025-26 SA20 competition, in which the player picked up 5 wickets at an economy of 7.33. The coaching team also discussed his hitting ability and were impressed with what they saw as the franchise purchased Coles for a whopping GBP 390,000.

James Coles' stunning domestic numbers that prompted his sudden rise

Coles was Sussex’ youngest-ever first-class debutant at just 16 years and 157 days, and since then, he has gone from strength to strength.

James Coles was Sussex’ youngest-ever first-class debutant at just 16 years and 157 days, and since then, he has gone from strength to strength. Known more for his batting than bowling, Coles has scored truckloads of runs in the domestic circuit, and he was still a teenager when he scored his maiden first-class ton.

Also Read: England ODI Squad Announced For India Series, Fresh Face Added

In 58 first-class games, Coles has racked up 3441 runs, and has scalped 74 wickets. In List-A cricket, he has 425 runs and 265 wickets to his name. In the T20s, the all-rounder has registered 1375 runs, and has plucked 55 wickets.

London Spirit has RCB connection, will IPL franchise target Coles?

As stated, the London Spirit has the same coaching staff as the IPL side, RCB, and hence, the question arises: Will the IPL team target him for the next season?

The defending IPL champions, RCB have plenty of quality hitters, but apart from Krunal Pandya, the side doesn’t have that genuine all-rounder who can score runs at a rapid rate, and can also take wickets in the middle-overs.

This RCB problem could be solved if Coles performs well in The Hundred, and the coaching department decides to take him to India for the IPL 2027. He can play as a genuine all-rounder and could turn out to be a more than handy batter as well.

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