NEW DELHI: Nepal legspinner
Sandeep Lamichhane on Saturday etched his name in history books after he was bought by
Delhi Daredevils
at the 2018 Indian Premier League Auction. He thus became the first ever from his country to be sold at the auction.
The 17-year-old Lamichhane first came into limelight when he took a hat-trick against Ireland at the 2016 ICC U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh as Nepal entered the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time in their cricket history. He subsequently finished as the second highest wicket taker with 14 wickets.
Lamichhane drew praise for his performances from the likes of former Australia captain
Michael Clarke and his idol
Shane Warne. He later travelled to Australia to train at Clarke's cricket academy in Sydney where he also represented his club Western Suburbs.
"Sandeep is a fantastic young man who enjoys his cricket and is extremely passionate about the game," Clarke was quoted as saying by a release from Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in September 2016. "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."
That he has been bought by an IPL team for his base price of Rs 20 lakh is a testament to Lamichhane's growing reputation as a cricketer.