The Cricket Association of Nepal took disciplinary action against their prominent leg-spinner after his unexpected, last-minute withdrawal from the first match of the series.
Nepalese leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane faced a suspension from the second and third Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against West Indies, which were held in Sharjah. This disciplinary measure was enacted following his eleventh-hour decision to withdraw from the inaugural match, a mere 45 minutes before its commencement.
In an official statement, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) clarified that Lamichhane`s late pull-out – specifically, just 15 minutes before the toss for the September 27 T20I – created a significant adverse impact on both the team and the broader landscape of Nepalese cricket. As a direct consequence, the team management put forth a recommendation for Lamichhane to be benched for the subsequent two games in the series.
It has been reported that during a later discussion between the team management and Lamichhane, he explained his reason for withdrawing from the first game was a challenging mental state that rendered him unfit to play the match.
Despite Lamichhane`s absence, Nepal achieved a remarkable 19-run victory over West Indies in the first T20I, marking their first-ever win against a Full Member nation. They continued their impressive run by securing a dominant 90-run win in the second T20I, thereby clinching their maiden series victory against such an opponent. The third match, which was a dead rubber, concluded with Nepal losing by ten wickets.
Nepal`s forthcoming engagement is the ICC Men`s T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia Pacific Final, slated to take place in Oman. Here, they will compete against Malaysia, Qatar, UAE, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Samoa, and Papua New Guinea for two coveted qualification spots in the 2026 Men`s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February and March. Notably, Lamichhane has been retained as part of the Nepal squad for this vital tournament.
The nine participating teams in the Oman tournament are distributed into three groups, each comprising three teams. Nepal finds itself in Group B, alongside Japan and Kuwait, with their respective matches scheduled for October 8 and 10. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Six round, and from there, the teams finishing first, second, and third will successfully qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
