Rohit Paudel replaces rape-accused Sandeep Lamichhane as Nepal cricket team captain

Rohit Paudel, Vice-Captain of the Nepali national cricket team has been promoted to captain of the team as Sandeep Lamichhane’s successor. In an announcement made late Friday evening, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) named Paudel as the lead of the national team replacing rape accused Sandeep Lamichhane. “RohitPaudel has been appointed as the Captain of the Nepal Men’s National Cricket Team,” the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) tweeted.

Rohit Poudel has been appointed as the Captain of the Nepal Men's National Cricket Team. pic.twitter.com/rn03yNV5Kx

— CAN (@CricketNep) November 11, 2022

The cricket body of the Himalayan Nation dumped Lamichhane (22) on September 7 after he was accused of raping a minor. Lamichhane is currently in custody facing charges under Section 219 of the Criminal Code (2074). If the charge stands, he will be imprisoned for 10 to 12 years. The 20-year-old, new captain, Paudel will lead Nepal in a three-match One-Day International (ODI) bilateral series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) scheduled for November 14, 16, and 18 at the TU ground in Kirtipur, Kathmandu. Vicenarian Paudel also holds the record as the highest run-acquiring Nepali player in the One Day International (ODI) series. Last year, while competing against Papua New Guinean Paudel scored 126 runs in 107 balls with 7 fours and 4 sixes. The same record was held by Nepal’s former team captain Paras Khadka. Khadka in the year 2019 was able to make 115 runs in 109 balls in a game against UAE. Khadka also is the first Nepali player to cross the century mark in ODI. The new captain Paudel made his debut for the Nepali national team in the year 2018 while playing ODI against the Netherlands. He also holds the record as the fourth youngest Nepali player to make his way to the national team. Paudel was 15 years and 335 days at the time of his debut, making him the second youngest International player to debut in the international series. The record of youngest player to play an international series is held by Hassan Raja from Pakistan who in 1996 appeared on the pitch against Zimbabwe. He was only 14 years 200 and 33 days old.