Nepal cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane has been denied US visa for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. The tournament is scheduled to start on June 1 and being hosted jointly by the US and West Indies. The cricketer was recently acquitted of rape charges.
"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," Lamichhane posted on X on Wednesday (May 22).
Sandeep Lamichhane was acquitted by the Patan High Court on Wednesday (May 15), having been convicted of rape by the Kathmandu District Court last year. According to Nepalese media reports, the bench of Judges Sudarashan Dev Bhatta and Anju Upreti Dhakal overturned the lower court's verdict.
The leg-spinner was sentenced to eight years in prison and fined Rs 300,000 in January this year. He was also ordered to pay compensation of Rs 200,000 to the victim.
After being acquitted, it was being reported that Lamichhane will be available for selection for the men's senior team for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA.
Although a 15-member squad, led by captain Rohit Paudel has been announced, ICC has granted provision to the teams to make changes to their squad until May 25, which makes it certain that Lamichhane will get the nod.
The Kathmandu District Attorney’s office filed a case against Sandeep, accusing him of raping a 17-year-old on August 21, 2022, in a hotel room. He was charged under section 219 of the Criminal Code 2074.
The girl filed a case against the Nepalese men’s team star at the Metropolitan Police Station in Gaushala. At that time, the then-22-year-old spinner was plying his trade for Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Upon arriving in his native country, police arrested him at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.