Sandeep Lamichhane will add another top T20 competition to his growing list when he plays in England this summer.
The 20-year-old leg-spinner has become a franchise-league globetrotter since becoming the first Nepal cricketer to play in the IPL back in 2018.
Now he has been announced as a new signing for Worcestershire, where he will play in the T20 Blast later this year.
“Sandeep has played in many tournaments and gained a lot of experience in franchise cricket,” Alex Gidman, the Worcestershire coach, was quoted as saying.
“He’s a leg spinner, which is a bit of mystery spin we believe we need in our squad in terms of balance, so we are ecstatic with the signing.
“We believe and trust that we have got an excellent squad of players ourselves, and it’s about adding to that squad, rather than getting players to replace players, and add to the balance of the team, which we think we’ve done well.
“This is his first taste of playing in England, and I’m sure he will do well and have an enjoyable summer with us.”
Lamichhane does have some experience of playing in England to draw on, having played at Lord’s for Nepal against MCC, as well as in a one-off exhibition fixture for an ICC World XI in 2018.
His signing could also have the indirect effect of providing a boost to UAE cricketers who aspire to play in England in the future.
Players from countries that are outside of the Test-playing elite have often had their paths to any sort of competitive cricket blocked in the past due to UK Home Office rules. No UAE players have featured in county cricket, and Lamichhane is the first to do so from Nepal.
Lamichhane’s recruitment comes on the back of him playing in franchise leagues in Australia, India, Pakistan, UAE and the Caribbean.
