Sandeep Lamichhane has been named Nepal’s new ODI captain, replacing Rohit Paudel ahead of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup. CAN had announced a 14-member squad for the tournament in Malaysia from August 30 to September 12.
It is also the second time Lamichhane will lead Nepal in ODIs. He had previously captained the national team in 14 ODIs during 2022, but his first of such rein came to a halt when CAN barred him from participating after an arrest warrant was issued against him. In 2023, a Kathmandu district court convicted Lamichhane in a sexual – coercion case. Even so, in 2024 the Patan High Court acquitted him citing insufficient evidence.
Previously, Lamichhane was Nepal’s ODI and T20I captain. Dipendra Singh Airee has taken over as T20I captain while Lamichhane will lead the team for the 50-over format.
Leadership role at a troubled time for Nepal in ODI cricket The side at present sits seventh on the charts of eight participating teams in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2, where it has lost four matches in a row most recently. Thus, the upcoming ACC Men s Premier Cup will be a chance for Nepal to build confidence and look to perform better in the format.
But Lamichhane, still one of Nepal’s main bowling weaponry and has an outstanding ODI record. In 77 matches he has captured 154 wickets, which includes his best figures of 6 for 11 vs Papua New Guinea in September last year. His wrist spin too has made him a sought-after punch in several of global franchise T20 competitions.
This includes 91 matches around T20 leagues representing franchises in the Indian Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League. His international and franchise experience is what makes him among the most seasoned players of Nepal.
In fact, Lamichhane himself suffered a second straight failure a few days back. Most recently, CAN had suspended him for two T20Is against West Indies in October 2025 after he edged out of one match with a few moments to spare. Fabian is also part of Nepal’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, where Nepal won just one from four games.
Lamichhane will now be appointed as the captain of Nepal’s ODI side during a vital stage ahead of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup. As both a successful bowler and former captain, he will be vital as Nepal attempts to bounce back from this run of losses in order to cement their fledgling international 50-over status.
Nepal squad for ACC Men’s Premier Cup
Sandeep Lamichhane (capt), Rohit Paudel, Aasif Sheikh, Arjun Kumal, Dev Khanal, Dipendra Singh Airee, Basir Ahamad, Ishan Pandey, Gulshan Kumar Jha, Sher Malla, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Hemant Dhami, Sundeep Jora
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