Kagiso Rabada acknowledges 'Sandeep Lamichhane' threat ahead of SA vs NEP T20 World Cup 2024 clash

South Africa National Cricket Team’s star fast bowler Kagiso Rabada insisted that they will not be complacent while facing Nepal for the first time in their final Group D match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in Saint Vincent on Saturday, June 15.

However, South Africa is currently leading the Group D points table with six points from three games and has already qualified for the Super 8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, but Rabada stressed the importance of not losing momentum, taking their clash with Nepal as another game for them with great seriousness.

Kagiso Rabada warns against complacency ahead of Nepal showdown in T20 World Cup 2024

Furthermore, Rabada emphasized that the South African team remains focused and hungry for another victory in their last game of the opening round of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, aiming to maintain their winning momentum and finish the group stage on a high note.

Kagiso Rabada said at the post-match press conference: “It’s another international match and we’re not taking them lightly. We’re going to try to play some more of the same cricket, or even better, that we’ve been playing in the tournament. To be honest, I don’t know a fair amount about how they play, but we have our analysis, and we will do our homework. And like I said earlier, it’s not a game that we’re going to take lightly. Not at all. We can’t take it lightly.”

Notably, Bangladesh, currently second in Group D, has a strong chance of joining the Proteas in the Super 8 stage. On the other hand, Nepal is in the second-last spot in the table with 1 point, and they have two games remaining in the group stage.

Kagiso Rabada expects a tough battle with Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane

Meanwhile, Rabada issued a warning regarding the threat posed by Sandeep Lamichhane to the South African batters ahead of their upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 match at the Arnos Vale Stadium in Saint Vincent.

Lamichhane, a 23-year-old leg-spinner known for his variations, was unable to play in Nepal's first two group matches in the United States due to visa issues but has arrived in the West Indies for the remaining two group stage games in the ongoing mega ICC event.

Rabada acknowledged Lamichhane's ability as a "mystery spinner" and expected that facing him would be a challenging task for the Proteas batters in their match. However, the star speedster has confidence in the South African batters but stresses the difficulty of playing against spin bowlers with unpredictable deliveries.

However, Rabada declared that the South African players are prepared for the challenge and are looking forward to testing their skills against Lamichhane. Notably, the Nepali spinner has taken 98 wickets in 52 T20Is, with an economy rate of 6.29, since making his debut in 2018.

Rabada added, “Yeah, he's a mystery spinner, so any mystery spinner is going to be tough to play. But I know the guys are really looking forward to facing that challenge.”

In the end, the Proteas pacer said that he really enjoyed bowling in the first round of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 on bowling-friendly tracks in New York. But Rabada said that the conditions will probably level out now in the Caribbean leg of the ICC tournament.