Sandeep Lamichhane, born on August 2, 2000, is a former Nepalese cricketer. He was known for his excellent leg spinning. Sandeep has participated in various Twnety20 franchises worldwide, including Delhi Capitals in IPL and Hobart Hurricanes in BBL. Sandeep, despite being a young cricketer, holds Nepal’s highest wicket tally in ODIs and T20Is. However, during his cricketing journey, Sandeep faced controversy for accusing him of rape in 2022. The controversy affected his career badly, and he was removed from captain position. Later, he was convicted in December 2023 and sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2023 for the offense.
Background
Sandeep Lamichhane’s childhood has swirled around the cricketing world. He was inspired by the great Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar and Australian Bowler Shane Warne. He started his cricketing journey with Chitwan Cricket Academy, under the guidance and mentorship of former captain Raju Khadka. During this period, captain Paras Khadka and coach Pubudu Dasanayake noticed the talent in Sandeep and selected him for the national Under-19 training camp. He was just 14 years old during this time.
Despite cricket, Sandeep also shows his interest in music and posts videos on his YouTube channel. In 2018, he released his debut song “Udash Thiyo” from the album “Pratikshya – The Waiting.” Sandeep has gained so much interest in both cricket and music, showing his versatility.
Career
Sandeep Lamichhane made his List A debut in 2016 during the ICC World Cricket League Championship. His remarkable performance in the 2016 U-19 Cricket World Cup gathered the attention of his fans. He took a hat-trick and finished the tournament by becoming the second-highest wicket-taker. Sandeep got the opportunity to play for Kowloon Cantoon in the 2016 Hong Kong T20 Blitz. In this, Sandeep got noticed by Australian cricketer Michael Clarke and was invited to play for Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Sidney.
In 2018, Sandeep showed his bowling skills in the ICC World Cricket League Division Two, where he was rewarded with the title of Player of the Tournament. He debuted in T20Is and ODIs for Nepal in the same year and stepped into his international career. His bowling skills attracted various titles. Sandeep was named ICC Player of the Month in 2021. In 2023, he became the fastest bowler to reach 100 ODI wickets. His passion for cricket made it easy for him to bring glory to his cricketing career. Sandeep opted out of a T20I tournament for personal reasons in September 2023.
Conviction
With all the fame and achievements in his cricketing career, Sandeep also experienced a conviction regarding rape. A police complaint was made against Sandeep for raping a girl in a Kathmandu hotel in August 2022. The evidence was recorded in the hotel’s CCTV footage and Kathmandu District Court issued an arrest warrant for him. He was suspended from cricket and forced out of the captaincy post.
Sandeep Lamichhane surrendered to the police in October 2022 and was held for investigation. However, he was granted bail in January 2023 but he received an eight-year prison sentence in January 2024.
