Sandeep Lamichhane replaces Rohit Paudel as Nepal's ODI captain

Sandeep Lamichhane returns as Nepal's ODI captain for the ACC Men's Premier Cup, replacing Rohit Paudel. The leg-spinner previously captained the side in 14 ODIs before Paudel's highly successful leadership run.

Sandeep Lamichhane has been handed the captaincy of Nepal's ODI side for the upcoming ACC Men's Premier Cup, as per the ICC website.

Lamichhane Replaces Paudel at the Helm

The 26-year-old experienced leg-spinner, who has claimed 154 wickets in 77 ODIs, will take over the leadership role from Rohit Paudel.

Lamichhane previously captained Nepal in 14 ODIs before Paudel took over the leadership in 2022.

Under Paudel's captaincy, Nepal enjoyed a highly successful run, winning 11 of their 12 ODI matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2.

The impressive campaign helped them secure a place in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June 2023, with Paudel also proving to be a dependable anchor in the batting order.

Lamichhane also brings an impressive record to the leadership role, having become the fastest Nepalese bowler to reach 150 ODI wickets. He is also the first player from Nepal to claim 100 T20I wickets.

ACC Men's Premier Cup Details

The ACC Men's Premier Cup will be held in Malaysia from August 30 to September 12.

The tournament will feature the top eight teams from the 2024 ACC Men's Premier Cup, along with the two finalists from the 2026 ACC Men's Challenger Cup. Bahrain, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates qualified by finishing among the top eight in the 2024 edition, while Malaysia and Singapore earned their spots after reaching the final of the 2026 ACC Men's Challenger Cup.

Nepal's squad for 2026 ACC Men's Premier Cup:

Sandeep Lamichhane (c), Aasif Sheikh, Arjun Kumal, Rohit Paudel, Dev Khanal, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sundeep Jora, Basir Ahamad, Ishan Pandey, Gulsan Jha, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Hemant Dhami. (ANI)

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