Spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, despite facing visa challenges has landed in West Indies to join Nepal's T20 World Cup squad.

Nepal's government and the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) had made efforts to support Lamichhane's visa application, but unfortunately, their attempts were unsuccessful. It is worth mentioning that Lamichhane, who was previously convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman in December 2023, had his conviction overturned recently.

Due to Lamichhane's inability to obtain a US visa, even after a second effort, and Nepal's scheduled first two games in the US, CAN announced on May 30 that Lamichhane will not be participating in the T20 World Cup 2024. All boards were given until May 25 to make adjustments to their teams. However, according to ESPNcricinfo's interview with CAN president Chatur Bahadur Chand on Monday, the board had originally submitted 14 names to the ICC on May 24 to accommodate Lamichhane's late arrival. The ICC's Event Technical Committee must approve Lamichhane's inclusion, as ESPNcricinfo has learned that Nepal already have 15 players in the United States. Neither ESPNcricinfo nor the ICC have issued any statements regarding the Nepal team changes.

In contrast, Lamichhane arrived in the West Indies on June 9 at local time and announced via Twitter that he would be joining the Nepal national team "for the last two matches," namely their June 14 and June 16 matches against South Africa and Bangladesh, respectively.

“Nepali player Sandeep Lamichhane will leave for the West Indies for the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup and join the Nepali national cricket team,” association secretary Paras Khadka said in a statement.

In a post on social media, Lamichhane said: "I am now joining the national team for the last two matches in the West Indies and looking forward to fulfilling my dreams and the dream of all cricket lovers. To all our cricket fans and people back home everywhere who prayed for me, I will forever be grateful for your blessings."