Nepal's star cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane has suffered a major setback in his bid to make a comeback at the upcoming T20 World Cup. The United States embassy has denied him a visa, dashing his hopes of representing his country in the tournament.
Lamichhane, the only Nepalese cricketer to have played in the Indian Premier League (IPL), was arrested in September 2022 on allegations of raping an 18-year-old girl. He was later released on bail and remained suspended from domestic and international cricket.
Just a week ago, the 23-year-old leg-spinner was acquitted by an appeals court, prompting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to allow the Nepal cricket board to add him to the World Cup squad. However, the US embassy's visa denial has put a spanner in the works.
"The @USEmbassyNepal did it again, just like in 2019, denying my visa for the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies. Unfortunate. I am sorry to all the well-wishers of Nepal Cricket," Lamichhane posted on Twitter.
Nepal, gearing up for their second T20 World Cup, are placed in Group D alongside South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. In Lamichhane's absence, the team has been led by batting all-rounder Rohit Paudel.
Cricket Association of Nepal president Chatur Bahadur Chand had recently mentioned that they were looking to add Lamichhane to the World Cup squad. In his career, Lamichhane has taken 112 wickets in 51 ODIs and is close to achieving the 100-wicket milestone in T20 internationals, having taken 98 wickets in 52 T20Is.
The visa denial is a significant blow to Nepal's hopes of making an impact at the T20 World Cup. Lamichhane is a key player for the team and his absence will be a major loss.
Tags: #SandeepLamichhane, #NepalCricket, #T20WorldCup, #USVisaDenial, #RapeAllegations
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