Bangalore: Sandeep Lamichhane became the first Nepalese cricketer to bag an IPL contract when he was picked by Delhi Daredevils Sunday, for his base price of Rs 20 lakh in the players’ auction here.
“Very happy to be announced as the player of @DelhiDaredevils for this season of @IPL! Special thanks to all those people who kept me in their prayers with holding their nerves! Journey begins now!!” Sandeep tweeted.
Sandeep rose to prominence with a successful outing at the 2016 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh where he guided his team to a creditable eighth place finish. The 17-year-old leg-spinner hogged the limelight by becoming the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 scalps in six innings at an average of 17 and an economy of 4.67 which also included a hat-trick against Ireland.
However, his World Cup heroics caught the attention of former Australian captain Michael Clarke, who picked the teenager to play alongside him for Kowloon Cantoons in the Hong Kong T20 Blitz. Later Clarke also invited the leg-spinner to play for his team Western Suburbs in the NSW Premier Cricket season in Australia.
Born in Syangja, Sandeep had spent three years in India as a child when his father was working in the Indian Railways. During his stay in India, Sandeep got exposed to Indian cricketers such as legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid and was also inspired by Australian spin great Shane Warne.
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