'I am innocent' - Nepal skipper Sandeep Lamichhane denies rape allegations

Nepal cricket team skipper Sandeep Lamichhane on September 9 (Friday) denied allegations that he raped a 17-year-old girl and said he would go home to fight his case. The leg-spinner from Nepal uploaded a post on his social media account stating that he is innocent and has done nothing wrong. 

Earlier, a local court in Nepal had issued an arrest warrant for the 22-year-old, who is playing in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and he has also been suspended from his leadership position in the national squad. 

To note, a  teenage girl, along with her guardian, filed a complaint against the player earlier this week, alleging that Lamichhane raped her in a hotel room in Kathmandu last month after they met and went out.

Hope the law acts equal for everyone: Sandeep Lamichhane 

In a statement on his social media channels, Lamichhane wrote: “I am INNOCENT & keep complete belief in the respectable laws of Nepal. I have decided to take a leave from CPL and go back to my country within a few days."

“I am ready to face all these baseless allegations. May justice be served to the innocent & right investigation to be done towards everyone involved. Hope the law acts equal to everyone,” he added. 

Lamichhane is a poster boy for the rise of cricket in Nepal, which gained one-day international status in 2018. Nepal has shown some immense improvement in their cricket over the years and have defeated several other associate nations.

Talking about Sandeep, the leg-spinner’s big break came when he was bagged up by the Delhi Capitals for the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2018 and he has since been the most sought-after Nepali cricket player in T20 leagues around the world. 

Lamichhane has shown confidence in the fact that he has not done anything wrong and he will want this case to end as soon as possible with the verdict coming in his favor.