Lamichhane Named Nepal Captain for ACC Premier Cup
The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has appointed Sandeep Lamichhane as Nepal’s ODI captain for the ACC Men’s Premier Cup on Monday, August 10, 2026.
The 26-year-old leg-spinner takes over from Rohit Paudel, who has headed the team since 2022. Sandeep Lamichhane will take the captaincy as Nepal begins their campaign in Malaysia on August 30, 2026.
Sandeep Lamichhane is returning to a previous post. He captained Nepal in 14 One-Day Internationals before Paudel took over, and his reappointment comes with a formidable individual record.
He has taken 154 wickets in 77 One-Day Internationals, making him the quickest Nepalese bowler to reach 150 wickets in the format. Aside from ODIs, Sandeep Lamichhane made history as the first Nepali cricketer to take a century of wickets in T20 Internationals, cementing his position as the country’s most decorated bowling asset in all white-ball formats.
Paudel’s record as captain was commendable. During the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, he led Nepal to 11 wins in 12 ODIs, demonstrating how far the team had come as a competitive unit under his leadership. Paudel has been retained in the squad and will continue to participate as a player in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup, making his experience available to the group even as the captaincy transitions.
Why did the captaincy change hands?
On August 10, 2026, CAN announced the modification, which coincided with the announcement of Nepal’s full tournament team. However, the board provided no official reason for the decision to transfer the captaincy from Paudel to Sandeep Lamichhane. At the time of writing, no statement explaining the basis for the appointment was available from confirmed sources.
What is the ACC Men’s Premier Cup, and when will Nepal play?
The ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2026 is held in Malaysia from August 30 to September 12, 2026. The ten-team field includes the eight teams that competed in the tournament’s 2024 edition, as well as the two finalists that advanced from the 2026 ACC Men’s Challenger Cup, making it one of the most challenging regional ODI competitions on the Asian cricket calendar.
Nepal’s roster for the ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2026: 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.
The selection keeps the core of the group that performed so well under Paudel, with Lamichhane now charged with leading that experienced unit into a tournament that is critical to Nepal’s regional reputation.
