Sandeep Lamichhane Leads Nepal in ACC Men's Premier Cup

Nepal's ODI team sees a leadership change as Sandeep Lamichhane takes over as captain for the ACC Men's Premier Cup. Previously led by Rohit Paudel, Nepal enjoyed an impressive run under his captaincy. The tournament in Malaysia will feature top cricket teams from the region.

Sandeep Lamichhane has been appointed the captain of Nepal's One Day International (ODI) team ahead of the upcoming ACC Men's Premier Cup, according to a statement from the International Cricket Council (ICC). The 26-year-old leg-spinner, with 154 wickets in 77 matches, assumes the role from Rohit Paudel.

Lamichhane previously led Nepal in 14 ODIs before Paudel was named captain in 2022. Under Paudel’s leadership, Nepal had a remarkable run, securing victory in 11 out of 12 games in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, which earned them a qualification spot in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, June 2023. Lamichhane is also notable for reaching 150 ODI wickets faster than any other Nepalese bowler and being the first from Nepal to achieve 100 T20I wickets.

The ACC Men's Premier Cup is scheduled in Malaysia from August 30 to September 12. It will host ten teams, including the top eight from the 2024 ACC Men's Premier Cup and the 2026 ACC Men's Challenger Cup finalists. Team Nepal's lineup includes: Sandeep Lamichhane (c), Aasif Sheikh, Arjun Kumal, Rohit Paudel, Dev Khanal, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sundeep Jora, Basir Ahamad, Ishan Pandey, Gulsan Jha, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Hemant Dhami.