Nepal Cricket Fans PROTEST Over Sandeep Lamichhane Being Denied US Visa For T20 World Cup 2024; PICS go VIRAL!

Realising the impact Sandeep could have at the marquee event, Nepal cricket fans have taken to the streets in protest.

Kathmandu: Nepal, as a country, may not be a cricketing heavyweight, but they have taken giant strides in international cricket and are all set to make their World Cup return in the upcoming T20 WC in the USA and the West Indies. Nepal had earlier featured in the 2014 T20 WC in Bangladesh. Today, Nepal is a team to reckon with and you cannot take them lightly – especially in the shortest format, which is extremely unpredictable. Now, there has already been a big setback for the Nepal side with star spinner Sandeep Lamichhane being denied US visa.

Realising the impact Sandeep could have at the marquee event, Nepal cricket fans have taken to the streets in protest. Fans held big banners which read: “Visa For Sandeep Lamichhane.” They want the US government to grant the spinner permission to travel.

Meanwhile, Rohit Paudel would lead a young Nepal side at the marquee event, with their first match on June 4 against The Netherlands in Texas.

There were no massive surprises in the selection, with players rewarded for their form across matches at the ACC Premier Cup in Oman, and outings against a West Indies A side currently on tour in Kirtipur.

Paudel himself has led the charge with bat in hand, hitting a century against the tourists in the first of the five-game series. Fresh off his world record-equalling exploits of hitting six sixes in an over against Qatar in April, all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee will float in the side’s batting order, with the likes of Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh also in the mix.

Nepal squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, Kamal Singh Airee