Sandeep Lamichhane, a Nepalese leg-spinner, has been signed by the Trinbago Knight Riders for the Caribbean Premier League’s 2021 season (CPL). In the last three years, the tweaker has played a lot of T20 cricket and made a name for himself in the shortest version of the game.
After making his debut in the T20 tournament in 2018, the upcoming CPL will be his fourth appearance. He began his career with the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, then transferred to the Barbados Tridents before joining the Jamaica Tallawahs.
His most prolific season was in 2020, when he took 12 wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 5.27. He joins Sunil Narine, Khary Pierre, and Akeal Hosein in the spin department for the Knight Riders, who will be his fourth band.
The 20-year-old has 138 wickets to his name in 101 T20 matches, with three four-wicket hauls to show for his efforts. In the company of some of the best spinners in the West Indies cricket fraternity, it remains to be seen if he gets a shot in the playing eleven.
BREAKING NEWS! 🇳🇵🇳🇵🇳🇵@Sandeep25 will be playing for the @TKRiders at CPL2021! #CPL21 #CPLDraft #SandeepLamichhane #CricketPlayedLouder pic.twitter.com/EdQxssyivR
— CPL T20 (@CPL) May 25, 2021
In the meantime, the Knight Riders have kept 12 players ahead of the players’ draught on May 26. Denesh Ramdin, formerly of the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, has also been acquired by TKR. Ramdin played with the Patriots for one season before transferring to his former club.
Dwayne Bravo, who led the Knights to championships in 2017 and 2018, has joined the Patriots. Bravo has 106 wickets from 79 matches in the CPL, making him the most successful wicket-taker in the competition’s history. He is the only bowler in the CPL with more than 100 wickets.
Kieron Pollard, who turned 34 only a few days back, has been retained as the Knights’ captain for the forthcoming T20 tournament. Last year, the batting all-rounder had a strike rate of over 200 and ensured that TKR won every other match in the tournament.
At the Brian Lara Stadium, the Knights defeated the St Lucia Zouks, who were playing in their first CPL final, by eight wickets. For his unbeaten 49-ball 84, Lendl Simmons was named Player of the Match.