Sandeep Lamichhane, a prominent Nepalese spinner, has been denied a visa to the USA for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The 23-year-old player had recently been acquitted by the Supreme Court after a prolonged legal battle over rape charges. With this clearance, he was anticipated to join the Nepalese squad for the tournament scheduled to start on June 1.
Lamichhane had previously faced suspension from all cricketing activities due to the charges, but the court’s decision allowed him to return to the sport. Chatur Bahadur Chand, President of the Nepal Cricket Association, had earlier assured that the board would make every effort to ensure Lamichhane’s participation in the T20 World Cup.
He emphasized that the team had the option to modify their lineup until May 25 and expressed commitment to including Lamichhane in the 15-member squad.
Chand stated, “He has been set free by the law, and we are happy for him. He was sentenced to jail by the lower courts, but today the high court set him free. We have removed the suspension as well, and we have time until the 25th to include him in the World Cup squad.”
However, on May 22, Lamichhane revealed via a tweet that his visa application had been denied by the USA. He mentioned a similar incident in 2019 when he was refused a visa for the Caribbean Premier League.
Lamichhane expressed his regret to Nepal Cricket supporters, writing, “And the @USEmbassyNepal did it again what they did back in 2019, they denied my Visa for the T-20 World Cup happening in USA and West Indies. Unfortunate. I am sorry to all the well wishers of Nepal Cricket.”
Nepal is grouped with Bangladesh, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Sri Lanka for the T20 World Cup. Their first match is scheduled against the Netherlands on June 4, preceded by a friendly match against Canada on May 27 under the leadership of Rohit Paudel.
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