Nepal Faces Setback As Sandeep Lamichhane Denied US Visa For T20 World Cup

T20 World Cup 2024: Sandeep Lamichhane Denied US Visa

In a significant setback for the Nepal cricket team, star spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has been denied a US visa to participate in the T20 World Cup 2024 scheduled for June. The 23-year-old was recently acquitted in a rape case due to "a lack of evidence".

A single-judge bench of the Kathmandu court had found Lamichhane guilty in January and sentenced him to jail for raping an 18-year-old woman. He was arrested in September 2022 but was later released on bail. The Cricket Association Nepal (CAN) suspended him on both occasions.

Earlier in May, Lamichhane lodged an appeal against his prison sentence and was granted permission to stay out of jail while legal proceedings were ongoing. The high-profile cricketer, who featured in the ODI Asia Cup 2023, claimed on Wednesday that the US embassy had denied him a visa for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.

Exactly a week ago, the leg-spinner was acquitted by an appeals court, following which the ICC allowed the Nepal cricket board to add him to the World Cup squad. The Nepal team is already in the Caribbean and has been training in St Vincent.

"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. @USAmbNepal @CricketNep," Lamichhane posted on X.

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. @USAmbNepal @CricketNep. https://t.co/xdBhaY6G91

— Sandeep Lamichhane (@Sandeep25) May 22, 2024

In 2019, Lamichhane was looking to compete in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) but was denied a visa by the US embassy. Gearing up to play in its only second T20 World Cup, Nepal has been placed in Group D along with South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Netherlands.

In Lamichhane's absence, Nepal handed the reins of the team to batting all-rounder Rohit Paudel. The Cricket Association of Nepal president Chatur Bahadur Chand recently mentioned that they are looking to add Lamichhane to their World Cup squad.