At the tender age of 17, Sandeep
Lamichhane recently became the first player from Nepal to be snapped up in the
Indian Premier League auction and is part of his country's side currently
trying to qualify for the 2019 World Cup, with the final being played at
Lord's.
MCC has been following the career of this young
leg-spin sensation with interest, as his rise to prominence began through a
link with the Club.
Lamichhane has been signed by Delhi Daredevils for the
2018 edition of the IPL. Set to become one of the biggest-ever stars of
Nepalese cricket, Lamichhane was first identified by Scott McKechnie, MCC
Member and Head Coach of Kowloon Cricket Club in Hong Kong, on MCC’s tour to
Nepal in 2015.
Lamichhane’s journey from India to Nepal, Hong Kong to
Australia and many other places in between now sees him on the cusp of global
cricketing stardom, should he deliver the performances of which he is capable
in the IPL, which begins in early April.
“It was a really important time
for us to tour Nepal because they had recently had an earthquake of great
magnitude”, said McKechnie. “For a lot of the local community, cricket was an
outlet and a distraction from the devastation and we were lucky enough to come
across Sandeep in some of the games we played there. You couldn’t miss him - he
was so high energy, and just so happy to be there.
“He was a big personality and he backed that
up with huge amounts of skill. I knew straight away we’d come across something
special. It was important to me from an MCC standpoint that he got the
opportunity that he deserved going forward.
“Sandeep is a wily bowler, a
really good leg-spinner. He bowls a good pace, but likes to mix up his pace and
be unpredictable. He’s a smart-thinking cricketer, and mature beyond his years.
I’d liken him to Rashid Khan in the modern game. They’ve both come from an
Associate Nation background and are achieving incredible things.”
After starring in the Under-19
World Cup in early 2016 for Nepal, taking 14 wickets at an average of only
17.07, Lamichhane was taken by McKechnie to Hong Kong to play for Kowloon
Cantoons in the Hong Kong T20 Blitz, and it was there he increased his exposure
to top level players. Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke, who also played
for Kowloon, described him as a “wonderful talent and a
little champion” ahead of this year’s IPL auction. Clarke went on to
invite Lamichhane for a stint at his club back in Australia, Western Suburbs,
and also to train at his cricket academy in Sydney.
In July of 2016, Lamichhane featured in an historic
day for Nepalese cricket, playing in their first-ever match at Lord’s, helping
his side to a 41-run victory against MCC.
Having been discovered at such a young age, Lamichhane
has been able to feature for both Nepal’s senior team and their Under-19 setup.
He has recently helped the Associate Nation to top the rankings in ICC World
Cricket League Division Two, which secures a path to the upcoming World Cup
Qualifiers in Zimbabwe. His fine performances in the series saw him claim the
Player of the Tournament, taking seventeen wickets in six matches. He also
played his part with the bat, featuring in two crucial last-wicket stands.
McKechnie is only too aware of
the importance for players to progress from Associate Nations. “Seeing players like Sandeep
succeed on a global stage is so important for the further development of
nations like Nepal. It is crucial. We have seen that journey unfold through
Afghanistan and Ireland, where a bit of exposure has helped these countries to
perform and produce talented cricketers.
“The sky is the limit for Sandeep. He’s still young, so he could achieve
anything he wants to. He’s got the right energy, the right attitude and the
right skill set to perform at a very high level for a long period of time. He
is going to be a global name, and the fact that an Associate Nation like Nepal
has produced someone of his quality shows the talent and ability that is out from : https://www.lords.org
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