Asia Cup 2023: Nepal Travel To Pakistan Without Rape-Accused Sandeep Lamichhane

Nepal could be forced to play in the historic Asia Cup without one of their key players Sandeep Lamichhane. While Rohit Paudel and his teammates left for Pakistan on Tuesday (August 22) for the ODI Asia Cup, Sandeep Lamichhane did not accompany them due to his legal situation.

The 23-year-old is facing rape charges and is out on bail at the moment. Due to the legal situation, he is obligated to remain in Nepal to stand trial. The alleged rape incident involves a 17-year-old girl and allegedly took place in a Kathmandu hotel room in August last year. The leg-spinner, who was the face of Nepal cricket not very long ago, has maintained his innocence and refuted all accusations against him.

The victim had lodged a police complaint in September before the Kathmandu District Court authorized the arrest of the player for further investigation. After the court orders, he pulled out of the Caribbean Premier League and was also suspended from the Nepal team by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). The police also issued a diffusion notice through Interpol against the spinner.

In October, he turned himself into Nepal police and was taken into custody. Later, he managed to secure bail for himself and also got his place back in the Nepal team. In February this year, the 23-year-old received permission to fly abroad to take part in the cricket World Cup Qualifiers.

Sandeep Lamichhane still in Nepal:

While Sandeep Lamichhane is still in Nepal for the trials, there is a possibility that he could join the team soon for the upcoming Asia Cup. According to a report in The Times of India, the star bowler is expected to attend the upcoming court hearing regarding his case on Sunday.

“Since there is a case against him sub-judice at the court, he is not going with us now. He also has some health issues,” Pradeep Majgaiyan, CAN manager, was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

Nepal captain Rohit Paudel has also thrown his support behind Sandeep Lamichhane and has said that the team needs his services.

“It has not been finalized yet that he will not play,” Paudel told a press conference.

“We are hopeful that he will play. He is really an impactful and big player for our team. He has helped win several matches for us. So, we hope he will join us later,” he added.

The upcoming Asia Cup will be a historic event for Nepal as they will be making their debut in the continental championship. They will open their campaign against hosts Pakistan on August 30 at Multan.