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Nepal said Thursday the US embassy had denied controversial star Sandeep Lamichhane a visa and there was a “slim or no chance” he would play in the T20 World Cup.
The T20 World Cup begins on Saturday, co-hosted by the United States and West Indies, with Nepal’s first game on June 4 in Dallas.
Nepal aimed to include spin bowler Sandeep Lamichhane in their squad, following the overturning of his eight-year rape sentence on appeal this month.
Last week, the former captain announced that his US visa application was denied, describing the outcome as “unfortunate.”
Chhumbi Lama, a central committee member of the Cricket Association of Nepal, reported that their further efforts to secure a US visa for Lamichhane were unsuccessful.
“There is a slim — or no chance — for him to be involved in the World Cup,” Lama told AFP.
“The Cricket Association of Nepal had lobbied to the US embassy through different Nepal government agencies, but the visa was denied.”
Lamichhane, 23, was previously the face of Nepalese cricket but was excluded from the initial squad due to his conviction for raping a young woman at a Kathmandu hotel in 2022.
The International Cricket Council stated that all T20 World Cup squads were finalized by the May 25 deadline.
Any changes to Nepal’s squad at this point would need to be approved by the ICC’s event technical committee.
