Nepal's star cricketer, Sandeep Lamichhane, will not be traveling to the USA for the upcoming T20 World Cup after his visa application was denied by the US authorities. Lamichhane, recently acquitted of rape charges in Nepal, was initially included in the T20 World Cup squad. However, his controversial background and ongoing legal issues led to the visa rejection.

sandeep-lamichhane

Lamichhane, 23, had been preparing for the tournament at the Tribhuvan University cricket ground. He was scheduled to leave for the US tonight, but the visa denial has dashed his hopes of participating in the World Cup. The T20 World Cup is set to take place in the West Indies and USA from June 2 to 29.

Chhumbi Lama, a central committee member of the Cricket Association of Nepal, confirmed that their subsequent attempts to secure a US visa for Lamichhane had failed. "There is a slim - or no chance - for him to be involved in the World Cup," Lama told AFP.

Nepal’s T20 World Cup Campaign

Nepal will begin their T20 World Cup journey against the Netherlands. The match will take place at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on June 4. Drawn in a challenging group, Nepal faces tough competition but aims to secure some wins and advance to the knockout stages.

Nepal squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, Kamal Singh Air