KATHMANDU: Nepal’s cricket star Sandeep Lamichhane was on Friday convicted of rape after a repeatedly delayed trial that had left him free to continue his sporting career.

Lamichhane, 23, was once the poster boy for the rise of cricket in Nepal and the leg-spinner’s on-field success had boosted the sport’s profile in the country.

Last year, he was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in a Kathmandu hotel but was freed on bail in January and returned to the squad to compete in international tournaments.

His lawyer Saroj Ghimire told AFP that a court had convicted Lamichhane on Friday. “His sentence will be decided in the next hearing,” he added.

District court official Ramu Sharma confirmed the verdict. “The event was not consensual,” he said.

When authorities issued an arrest warrant Lamichhane initially failed to return from Jamaica, where he was playing in the Caribbean Premier League.

He was dismissed as national captain and arrested last year but Nepal lifted his ban after he was freed on bail. This allowed him to remain in the national team, including for the World Cup qualifiers and September’s Asia Cup.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2023