T20 World Cup: Nepal Cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane Denied USA Visa Over Rape Case

The Patan High Court acquitted Lamichhane after the Kathmandu District Court sentenced him to 8 years in jail.

Sandeep was available for the T20 World Cup squad after he was found innocent.

(Photo: Twitter/Sandeep Lamichhane)

Nepal cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane is unlikely to travel to the United States of America (USA) and West Indies (WI) for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 after the US Embassy in Nepal denied him a visa, a week after he was acquitted in a rape case by the Nepal High Court.

“And the @USEmbassyNepal did it again what they did back in 2019, they denied my Visa for the T20 World Cup happening in the USA and West Indies. Unfortunate. I am sorry to all the well-wishers of Nepal Cricket,” Lamichhane wrote on ‘X’.

The Patan High Court on May 15 acquitted Lamichhane in the rape case after the Kathmandu District Court sentenced him to eight years in jail in January. Sandeep was available for the T20 World Cup squad after he was found innocent.

However, Nepal already announced the 15-player squad led by Rohit Paudel but with the ICC rule of allowing the teams to make changes to their squad until May 25, it was certain that Lamichhane might get picked.