Nepal have appointed legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane as their new ODI captain, replacing Rohit Paudel ahead of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup in Malaysia.
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) announced a 14-member squad for the tournament, which will run from August 30 to September 12.
This will be Lamichhane’s second spell as Nepal’s ODI captain. He previously led the side in both white-ball formats before CAN suspended him in 2022 following the issuing of an arrest warrant.
Lamichhane was found guilty of rape by a Kathmandu district court in 2023 but was acquitted by the Patan High Court in 2024 due to a lack of evidence.
Dipendra Singh Airee is currently Nepal’s T20I captain, while Lamichhane will now take charge of the ODI side at a difficult time for the team.
Nepal have struggled in the 50-over format recently, losing four consecutive matches in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2. They are currently seventh in the eight-team competition.
Lamichhane has already led Nepal in 14 ODIs. He remains one of the team’s key bowlers, taking 154 wickets in 77 matches across formats, including his career-best 6 for 11 against Papua New Guinea in September 2021.
His performances in franchise cricket have also made him one of Nepal’s most recognised players. He has played 91 matches across competitions including the IPL, PSL, BBL, CPL and BPL.
Lamichhane was suspended for two T20Is by CAN in October 2025 after withdrawing from a match at short notice. He also featured in Nepal’s 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, where they won one of their four matches.
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
