World

BBL cricketer Lamichhane found guilty of rape in Nepal

By AAP Newswire

Dec 30, 2023

A court in Nepal has found the Himalayan nation's highest-profile cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

The 23-year-old has been the face of cricket in Nepal and was the only player from the country to participate in prominent Twenty20 leagues worldwide.

Lamichhane was suspended as Nepal's captain last year and taken into custody after police issued an arrest warrant for him over the assault in 2022.

He was later released on bail.

Lamichhane, who could face up to 10 years in jail, is due to be sentenced on January 10.

His lawyers said he would appeal the verdict to a higher court.

"We did not expect this judgment ... we are frustrated," lawyer Sabita Bhandari Baral told Reuters about Friday's verdict by the Kathmandu district court.

"We'll definitely appeal," she said.

Lamichhane spent several seasons playing in Australia's BBL competition, where he proved popular with fans.

He was part of the Melbourne Stars franchise in 2018-19 and 2019-20and played with the Hobart Hurricanes in 2020-21.

By AAP Newswire

Australian Associated Press