Nepal board suspend Sandeep Lamichhane over alleged case

Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) have in immediate effect, suspended their skipper, Sandeep Lamichhane following the issuance of arrest warrant against the leg-spinner over an alleged case of coercion of another person. 

Earlier on Thursday, a 17-year-old girl filed a FIR at Gaushala Metropolitan Police Circle in Kathmandu on Tuesday in which she had accused 22-year-old Lamichhane had raped her in a hotel room in Kathmandu some three weeks ago. The leg-spinner was in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with the Jamaica Tallawahs. 

However, the franchise on Thursday announced that the leg-spinner would leave the tournament with immediate effect. ESPNCricinfo reported that Lamichhane’s suspension would remain in place pending a complete investigation. The decision to suspend the leg-spinner was taken during a CAN board-meeting. 

Lamichhane is the first high-profile cricketer from Nepal, with stints all over the world in the shortest format, including the Big Bash League, Indian Premier League, the CPL and the Lanka Premier League. The leg-spinner shot to fame in 2018, when he was picked by the Delhi Capitals (then Daredevils) at the IPL Auction for a bid of INR 20 lakhs. 

In December 2021, the 22-year-old was made the skipper of the national team, replacing Gyanendra Malla. Incidentally, he has also been one of the top performers in international cricket for Nepal, with accolades both in ODI and T20I cricket, becoming the second and third-fastest man to 50 wickets in the formats.