• Sandeep Lamichhane has announced his arrival in the West Indies for Nepal's remaining games in T20 World Cup 2024.

  • Lamichhane could not participate in the early stages of the tournament due to visa denial.

Fans react as Sandeep Lamichhane joins Nepal squad for the remaining T20 World Cup 2024 matches
Sandeep Lamichhane (Image Source: Twitter)

Sandeep Lamichhane, the renowned spinner from Nepal, has announced his arrival in the West Indies for the last two group stage matches of their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. Initially denied a visa to enter the United States of America (USA), which ruled him out of the early stages of the tournament, Lamichhane’s presence is expected to significantly bolster Nepal’s chances in their upcoming games.

Sandeep Lamichhane expresses gratitude

In a heartfelt social media post, Lamichhane expressed his gratitude to various entities, including the Government of Nepal, the Foreign Ministry, the Sports Ministry, the National Sports Council (NSC), and the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), for their relentless efforts in securing his participation. He thanked key figures such as President Chatur Bahadur Chand, former player Paras Khadka and his lawyer Saroj K Ghimire for their extraordinary dedication.

Appeal for positive support from fans

Lamichhane emphasized the importance of positive support from fans, urging them to celebrate Nepal cricket’s return to the World Cup after a decade. He expressed his disheartenment over false propaganda tarnishing the image of key figures who supported his return and appealed to fans to disregard such misinformation.

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Confirmation from the Cricket Association of Nepal

The Cricket Association of Nepal on X confirmed Lamichhane’s arrival in the West Indies, enabling him to play in Nepal’s final two group stage matches. Despite being denied a US visa twice, his participation has been facilitated through coordinated efforts involving the ICC and other official networks.

“The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has confirmed Sandeep Lamichhane is already in the Caribbean to play the T20 World Cup 2024. Lamichhane was denied a US visa twice, which prevented him from participating in the initial stages of the T20 World Cup. However, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has confirmed that he is now in the Caribbean and will play in Nepal’s two league stage games in the West Indies,” the statement reads.

Lamichhane’s cricketing journey faced a significant hurdle when he was arrested in September 2022 on charges of raping an 18-year-old girl. After being released on bail and facing suspension from playing both domestically and internationally, an appeals court recently acquitted him, leading to the ICC clearing him for inclusion in Nepal’s World Cup squad.

Impact on Nepal’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign

Lamichhane missed Nepal’s earlier matches, including their defeat against the Netherlands and the game against Sri Lanka. However, his return is timely as Nepal prepares to face South Africa and Bangladesh in the West Indies. These matches, scheduled for June 15 and 17 at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St. Vincent, are crucial for Nepal’s progress in the tournament.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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