On Saturday, cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane made history when he became the first Nepali to play in the Indian Premier League. He was picked by Shreyas Iyer to face-off against Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore at the match in Delhi.
On Saturday, cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane made history when he became the first Nepali to play in the Indian Premier League. He was picked by Shreyas Iyer to face-off against Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore at the match in Delhi.
This comes on a day when PM Modi praised Sandeep Lamichhane in an event in Nepal. Modi, who began his two-day visit to Nepal on Friday, pitched for 'more sports' engagement in future to 'connect' the two countries.
"Today, we are connected by cricket as a Nepali boy is a part of Indian Premier League," Modi said, referring to Sandeep Lamichhane who became the first cricketer from Nepal to land an IPL contract when he was picked by Delhi Daredevils at the players auction in January.
"This connection with cricket will strengthen our people to people ties & I hope there are more sports through which we can connect," Modi said at a civic reception civic reception held in the capital Kathmandu to honour him.
Lamichhane made history when he became the first Nepali to be picked for the IPL. He was picked by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 20 lakh on the second day of the auction.
He has come in for high praise from former Australian captain Michael Clarke who believes the 17-year-old leg spinner from Nepal has the potential to make it big.
Clarke had said: “Sandeep has a lot of potential and is extremely passionate about the game.”
When he played for Clarke’s academy in Australia, he had said: “Sandeep is a fantastic young man who enjoys his cricket and is extremely passionate about the game It is a really exciting opportunity to have such a talented Nepalese cricketer travel this distance to come and test his skills and improve his game at my academy.”
He grew up watching Sachin Tendulkar and said he fantasised about bowling like Shane Warne.
He told Sportskeeda: “Maybe God gifted that art to me and I worked on it. When I was young, I used to follow Shane Warne (on TV and his videos on a mobile phone) and fantasized about the way he bowls. I used to watch him bowl leg spin and googlies and practice them in the nets. I can bowl googlies very well, front flippers and yeah, the leg spinners. If my teammates want something else from me, I will work on that. So far, I am doing well. I have some good very variations up my sleeve.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Sandeep Lamichhane and MS Dhoni")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}