Lamichhane back at the helm

Nepal have made a major leadership change ahead of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup, naming leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane as their new ODI captain in place of Rohit Paudel.

The Cricket Association of Nepal announced the change while confirming the squad for the tournament, which will be played in Malaysia from August 30 to September 12. Lamichhane previously captained Nepal in 14 ODIs before Paudel took over in 2022.

The 26-year-old returns to the role with a strong record in international cricket. He has taken 154 wickets in 77 ODIs, is Nepal’s fastest bowler to reach 150 ODI wickets and was the first player from the country to claim more than 100 T20I wickets.

Paudel leaves after strong run

Paudel’s captaincy tenure included a notable finish in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2. Nepal won 11 of their final 12 matches under his leadership and secured direct qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. Paudel also remained an important middle-order batter for the team.

Lamichhane’s return marks a fresh start as Nepal seek to strengthen their 50-over cricket. The squad includes the returns of Sompal Kami and Aarif Sheikh, while Dev Khanal, Sher Malla, Sundeep Jora and Basir Ahamad have been added. Kushal Bhurtel, Bhim Sharki, Nandan Yadav and Binod Bhandari have been left out.

Nepal target another Premier Cup title

The 2026 competition will be the third edition of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup and will be played in the 50-over format. Nepal won the inaugural edition in 2023 as hosts.

Nepal squad: Sandeep Lamichhane (captain), 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 and Hemant Dhami.