Nepal spinner Sandeep Lamichhane likely to miss T20 World Cup after US visa Denial

Nepal's star spinner Sandeep Lamichhane is facing an unfortunate possibility of missing out on the upcoming T20 World Cup in June after being denied a US visa. Lamichhane, recently cleared of rape charges, was all set to join the squad for the historic ICC event, marking Nepal's debut appearance.

Initially suspended from international and domestic cricket due to the allegations, Lamichhane's discharge paved the way for his return to the team. Cricket Nepal's president expressed optimism about including Lamichhane in the T20 World Cup squad, highlighting the legal developments that led to his reinstatement.

"He has been set free by the law, and we are happy for him. We have removed the suspension as well, and we have time until the 25th to include him in the World Cup squad," stated Nepal board president Bahdur.

Despite the positive outlook, Lamichhane faced the setback and he took to X on Wednesday to reveal the US Embassy's refusal to grant him a visa for the T20 World Cup to be held in the USA and the West Indies. This denial echoed a similar incident in 2019 when he was unable to secure a visa for the Caribbean Premier League.

Expressing his disappointment, Lamichhane posted, "And the @USEmbassyNepal did it again what they did back in 2019, they denied my Visa for the T-20 World Cup happening in USA and West Indies. Unfortunate. I am sorry to all the well-wishers of Nepal Cricket."

Nepal is in Group D alongside South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Netherlands for the T20 World Cup. While the team had already announced its squad, all participating nations have until May 25 to make any final adjustments.