(CAN Photo)
Nepal’s T20 World Cup squad will welcome Sandeep Lamichhane in the West Indies, as he missed matches in the United States due to visa denial, the cricket association announced on Monday.
Nepal initially aimed to choose ex-captain Lamichhane, whose eight-year rape conviction was overturned on appeal. However, despite extensive efforts to persuade, his US visa was rejected twice.
The T20 World Cup is jointly hosted by the United States and the West Indies.
“Nepali player Sandeep Lamichhane will leave for the West Indies for the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup and join the Nepali national cricket team,” association secretary Paras Khadka said in a statement.
At 23, spin bowler Lamichhane was once hailed as the face of cricket in Nepal. However, in 2022, he faced conviction for raping a young woman in a Kathmandu hotel. Last month, that conviction was overturned.
“I am now joining the national team for the last two matches in the West Indies and looking forward to fulfilling my dreams and the dream of all cricket lovers,” Lamichhane posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“To all our cricket fans and people back home everywhere who prayed for me, I will forever be grateful for your blessings.”
His social media announcement garnered a warm reception from fans, who flooded the comments with congratulatory messages.
Nepal suffered a defeat to the Netherlands, losing by six wickets in their World Cup opener.
Next, they are set to face Sri Lanka on Wednesday in Florida, followed by group matches in the West Indies against South Africa and Bangladesh.
Before facing his rape trial, Lamichhane’s remarkable success as a leg-spinner significantly elevated the profile of cricket in the Himalayan republic.
Back in 2022, when an arrest warrant was initially issued, Lamichhane failed to return from Jamaica, where he was participating in the Caribbean Premier League. Subsequently, he was stripped of his national captaincy and arrested. However, Nepal revoked his playing ban upon his release on bail.
He continued to participate in cricket events, including last year’s Asia Cup held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, up until his conviction in January. However, in mid-May, his conviction was overturned.
Cricket in Nepal doesn’t command the same level of attention as it does in other parts of South Asia. Nonetheless, the sport has been steadily gaining popularity, with Nepal being granted one-day international status by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2018.
Lamichhane played a pivotal role in this rise, emerging as the most sought-after Nepali cricketer in lucrative T20 leagues worldwide. His breakthrough came when he was signed up for the Indian Premier League (IPL), the wealthiest cricket tournament globally, in 2018.
