Kathmandu: Nepal’s former cricket captain Sandeep Lamichhane was on Friday convicted of raping a minor, reported AFP.
A single bench of Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal of Kathmandu District Court passed the order after the final hearings concluded, the Kathmandu Post reported.
The next hearing will determine the jail term for Nepal’s most high-profile cricketer. The 23-year-old Lamichhane became the first cricketer from Nepal to play in the IPL when he made his debut for Delhi Capitals in 2018.
Lamichhane was arrested after a 17-year-old girl accused him of raping her in a Kathmandu hotel room in August 2022.
In January this year, the Patan High Court granted bail to the cricketer.
Responding to Lamichhane’s review petition, a joint bench of judges Dhruva Raj Nanda and Ramesh Dahal ordered the cricketer’s release on a bail bond of Rs 2 million with conditions.
A crafty leg-spinner with a vicious googly, Lamichhane was a highly sought-after cricketer in T20 leagues around the world, including IPL, Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia, Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the CPL.
He is the world’s second-fastest bowler to capture 50 ODI wickets and third-fastest to 50 T20 International wickets. His last international appearance was in August 2023, when he played against Kenya in a T20I encounter.
Now, his future is clouded in uncertainty.
