Lamichhane: 'I was just watching the scores and praying to God!'

With Nepal gaining ODI status, Sandeep Lamichhane is among those making an entry into the rankings
With Nepal gaining ODI status, Sandeep Lamichhane is among those making an entry into the rankings

Nepal’s players awoke on Thursday morning knowing that a win against Papua New Guinea coupled with the Netherlands defeating Hong Kong would result in the realisation of a long-held dream.

The first part of the equation was smoothly negotiated. “We bowled out PNG for 114 and we chased it down very easily,” the leg-spin sensation Sandeep Lamichhane told the ICC. “Then we were just waiting for the result of Hong Kong against Netherlands. I was just watching the scores and praying to God!

"Finally it happened and for the first time we are an ODI nation.”

Interview: Sandeep Lamichhane, Nepal

Lamichhane puts the achievement down to years of hard graft and patience, but points out that the tough work is only just beginning, and not just on the pitch but behind the scenes.

Nepal remain suspended from membership of the ICC for breaching Article 2.9 of the ICC’s Articles of Association, which prohibits government interference and requires free and fair elections.

“Now we are just looking forward. There has to be a lot of changes in Nepal and we are just hoping that there will be good people in the upcoming years. Everything has to be changed, it needs to come in a new shape, and we have to be a good nation as well.”

Despite a final defeat to the Netherlands which left Nepal in eighth place overall, for now, he says, the mood is purely jubilant. “We’ve had lots of messages from around the world, people congratulating us, and I’ve been very thankful to everyone who has supported us in good situations and bad.

"These are the crazy fans of our Nepal cricket and it means a lot to us because they have been very kind to us.”

Lamichhane’s astronomical rise looks set to continue next month when he becomes the first Nepalese player to make his bow in the Indian Premier League with Delhi Daredevils. He sees his personal quest as intrinsically linked to that of his country. “Next, I have to go for the IPL and I’m looking forward to it. It’s a good achievement for me and for Nepal cricket. “I’m just ready for the opportunity,” he says, with a smile.

Three years on from being discovered as a 14-year-old by then Nepal coach Pubudu Dassanayake during a pit stop in the remote Chitwan Province, Lamichhane’s fairytale looks set to run and run.

Nepal