Nepal spinner Sandeep Lamichhane denied US visa ahead of T20 World Cup
May 22, 2024
New Delhi [India], May 23 : Nepal spinner Sandeep Lamichhane's chances of featuring in the T20 World Cup took a hit after he was denied a US visa.
Last week, Lamichhane was acquitted by the Patan High Court in a rape case and became available for selection for the marquee event.
Lamichhane took to X on Wednesday to disclose that he was denied a US visa, which read, "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."
https://x.com/Sandeep25/status/1793236640342946138
Lamichhane was accused of rape by a minor back in 2022. The victim in the case was 17 years old at the time of filing the case. The star cricketer who led the national cricket team was accused of raping a minor multiple times in a hotel room in Kathmandu on August 21 of that year. The victim filed a rape complaint against Lamichhane at the Gaushala Police Circle on September 6.
In September 2022, Lamichhane, then the Nepal captain, was suspended by the Cricket Association of Nepal.
After Lamichhane was acquitted, CAN also revoked its suspension of Nepali leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane. In a press statement, CAN announced that its decision aligns with the verdict of the Patan High Court, which acquitted Lamichhane of all charges.
Following the decision, ESPNcricinfo reported that Lamichhane was in contention to feature in Nepal's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in June in the USA and the West Indies.
Lamichhane was the leading wicket-taker for Nepal with nine scalps in last year's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers. His tally was the most for Nepal which helped them seal a spot in the marquee event.
The last date to make changes in the final squad is May 25. Nepal's provisional squad has already arrived in the Caribbean. They have been gearing up for the tournament in St Vincent.
Nepal will travel to the USA for their two warm-up games against Canada and USA on May 27 and 30 respectively.
Nepal are placed in Group D alongside Bangladesh, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands. They will kick off their campaign on June 4 against the Netherlands in Dallas.
