(Cricket News) Sandeep Lamichhane, the former captain of Nepal’s national cricket team, was found guilty of rape by the Kathmandu District Court. The court, led by Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal, delivered the verdict after concluding the final hearings that commenced on Sunday, as reported by the Kathmandu Post. The court determined that the girl involved was not a minor at the time of the incident.
The upcoming hearing will ascertain the jail term for the cricketer, according to the report. Lamichhane, who had been accused of raping a girl in a hotel room in Kathmandu in August of the previous year, was granted bail in January by a Nepal court. The Patan High Court judges, Dhruvaraj Nanda and Ramesh Dhakal, released Lamichhane on bail amounting to Rs 2 million, overturning the decision of the Kathmandu district court. He was also prohibited from leaving the country until the court issues its final verdict in the case.
In February, the Scotland cricket team players abstained from shaking Lamichhane’s hands after their 3-wicket loss to Nepal. While they shook hands with every Nepal player, this silent protest was directed at Lamichhane’s continued participation in the ICC’s Cricket World Cup League 2 series, including Namibia. Lamichhane was informed about the protest beforehand.
Notably, Lamichhane made history as the first cricketer from Nepal to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he debuted for the Delhi Capitals in 2018. The leg-spinner was highly sought after in various T20 leagues globally, including the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia, the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and the CPL. He holds the distinction of being the world’s second-fastest bowler to reach 50 ODI wickets and the third-fastest to achieve 50 T20I wickets. Lamichhane’s most recent international appearance was in August of the current year when he played against Kenya in a T20I encounter.
