KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 11

The Tribhuvan International Airport Immigration Department today blacklisted suspended national cricket team skipper Sandeep Lamichhane at a request from Nepal Police.

"I received the letter this evening and we blacklisted Lamichhane immediately as per the request of the Nepal Police," confirmed TIA Immigration Chief Basu Dev Ghimire. The TIA's move came after Nepal Police requested the Immigration Department to blacklist the rape-accused Lamichhane so that he could be arrested upon his arrival at the airport. The Kathmandu District Court had issued an arrest warrant against the cricketer.

A 17-year-old girl on Wednesday filed an FIR at Gaushala Police Circle accusing Lamichhane of raping her multiple times at a hotel in Kathmandu on August 21, on the eve of national team's departure to Nairobi for five-match Twenty20 International and three-match One Day Series against Kenya. After leading Nepal to 3-2 victory in the T20I series and also claiming the player-of-the-series award, the globe-trotting cricketer left for the West Indies to play for Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League.

The Cricket Association of Nepal suspended Lamichhane from the national team after the accusation. The International Cricket Council has also expressed concerns about the case, while Jamaica Tallawahs have released Lamichhane from the team.

Lamichhane rose to stardom after he was picked to play in the Indian Premier League by Delhi Daredevils in 2018. The first Nepali cricketer to play in the money-spinning IPL, Lamichhane never looked back and made a fairytale tour across the globe, after being snapped up by Australia's Big Bash, Sri Lanka Premier League, CPL, Pakistan Premier League, T10 League in the United Arab Emirates, and England's The Hundred.

A version of this article appears in the print on September 12, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.