KATHMANDU - Sandeep Lamichhane has returned as Nepal's ODI captain nearly four years after his first tenure ended, with the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) appointing him to lead the side at the ACC Men's Premier Cup in Malaysia.
CAN confirmed the decision through a press release issued by secretary Paras Khadka. The ACC Men’s Premier Cup is scheduled to be played from August 30 to September 12.
Lamichhane replaces Rohit Paudel as Nepal's ODI captain. CAN will now continue with a split-captaincy structure, with Lamichhane leading the ODI side and Dipendra Singh Airee remaining Nepal's T20I captain.
It is Lamichhane's second spell as Nepal captain. He was first appointed national captain on December 15, 2021, replacing Gyanendra Malla. During that period, Lamichhane led Nepal in both ODIs and T20Is.
His first tenure ended in September 2022 after CAN suspended him following legal proceedings. In May 2024, the Patan High Court acquitted Lamichhane, and CAN lifted his suspension from all domestic and international cricket activities the same day.
Lamichhane's previous ODI captaincy record stands at 14 matches, with Nepal winning four, losing nine and tying one. In T20Is, his record was much stronger, with 13 wins from 18 matches and a win percentage of 72.22.
Rohit, meanwhile, was appointed Nepal captain in November 2022 after Lamichhane's suspension. He became one of Nepal's most important leaders during a defining period for the national team.
Under Rohit, Nepal completed a remarkable late run in the previous Cricket World Cup League 2 cycle, won the ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2023 to qualify for the Asia Cup, and qualified for back-to-back ICC Men's T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026.
Rohit's ODI captaincy record, according to cricnepal's latest captaincy table around the Netherlands League 2 leg, stood at 31 wins, 28 defeats and two no-results from 62 matches before the last results of the tour were fully reflected. After Nepal's winless finish in Utrecht, his ODI record moved further towards parity.
In T20Is, Rohit became Nepal's most-used captain. By October 2025, he had already led Nepal in 50 T20Is, winning 27, losing 18 and tying three. He was later replaced in the T20I role by Dipendra Singh Airee in 2026.
Lamichhane now returns to leadership at a difficult time for Nepal's ODI side. Nepal recently endured a winless League 2 tour of the Netherlands, losing all four matches against Namibia and the Netherlands. Their batting struggled throughout the series, and Nepal slipped further away from the top-four race.
The Premier Cup will therefore be more than just a captaincy comeback for Lamichhane. It will be Nepal's first ODI assignment under a renewed leadership setup, with Rohit still part of the squad as a senior batter.
Nepal’s 14-member squad includes Lamichhane, Aasif Sheikh, Arjun Kumal, Rohit Paudel, Dev Khanal, Dipendra Singh Airee, Basir Ahamad, Ishan Pandey, Gulshan Jha, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Hemant Dhami and Sundeep Jora.
Nepal Squad
Sandeep Lamichhane (c), Aasif Sheikh, Arjun Kumal, Rohit Paudel, Dev Khanal, Dipendra Singh Airee, Basir Ahamad, Ishan Pandey, Gulshan Jha, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Hemant Dhami, Sundeep Jora.
