Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Sept 9: Sandeep Lamichhane, the captain of Nepal’s cricket team, on Friday refuted claims that he had raped a 17-year-old girl and said he would return home to defend himself.
The 22-year-old, who participates in the Caribbean Premier League, has a warrant for his arrest from a Nepali court, and he has been demoted from his position of authority. This week, the girl and her parent filed a complaint against the player, claiming that he had sexually assaulted her in a hotel room in Kathmandu the month after they met and went out.
“I am INNOCENT and keep complete belief in the respectable laws of Nepal. I have decided to take a leave from CPL and go back to my country within few days,” in a statement on his social media channels, Lamichhane wrote.
“I am ready to face all these baseless allegations. May justice be served to the innocent and right investigation to be done towards everyone involved. Hope the law acts equal to everyone,” he added.
— Sandeep Lamichhane (@Sandeep25) September 9, 2022
Lamichhane is presently competing with the Jamaica Tallawahs in the West Indies-based Caribbean Premier League.
Lamichhane is the face of Nepal’s burgeoning one-day international cricket league, which was granted recognition in 2018 but is still a long way from competing in a World Cup.
The leg-big spinner’s break came in 2018 when the Delhi Capitals signed him for the lucrative Indian Premier League. Since then, he has become the most in-demand Nepali cricketer in international T20 tournaments.
