IPL 2018: Sandip Lamichhane reminisces his amusement after getting Delhi call-up

There have been very few instances when a cricketer from the associate and affiliate nation has gone on to play in the league of the mega stars the Indian Premier League (IPL). Last season, Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi, from the then associate Afghanistan team, played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and will be plying their trade in the upcoming season as well.

Cricket in Nepal has grown leaps and bounds, however, they still have a fair distance to travel before they can be regarded as a force in international cricket. Moreover, chances of a Nepalese player representing an IPL team wasn’t even speculated ahead of the auction. However, Sandeep Lamichhane, a leg-spinner from the nation was drafted in by the Delhi Daredevils at his base price of 20 Lakhs.

“I was actually shocked”- Lamichhane

Recently, he in a chat with the Indian Express he talked about his emotions after the selection. “When I was in Nepal, I was practising one evening (around 6 pm) and I got a mail from DD CEO Hemant Dua. They called me for the trials and I was actually shocked. I didn’t expect it all. I was a bit excited and nervous as well. I was expecting trials to happen at Feroz Shah Kotla but due to rains, it happened indoors. I bowled a few deliveries, good and line length. It was good,” Sandeep mentioned.

Recently, Nepal managed to gain ODI status after beating Papua New Guinea in the World Cup Qualifiers 2018 in Zimbabwe. However Lamichhane vented his disappointment at the ICC for reducing the number of teams in the World Cup.

“Every player from every country dreams of playing (in) the World Cup. ICC should have increased the number of teams so that every player gets a chance to play (in) the World Cup and grow their cricket to the top level,” he added.

Here’s a look into Nepal’s illustrious journey to ODI status:

Stay updated on ‘today’s cricket news‘ with CricTracker.com