In a significant achievement for Nepali cricket, Sandeep Lamichhane, a key member of the national team, has outperformed Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva in the latest ODI all-rounder rankings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Sandeep has made remarkable strides, climbing 22 positions to secure the 43rd spot, showcasing his growing prowess on the international stage. Meanwhile, de Silva currently ranks 54th, highlighting Sandeep’s impressive progress.
Sandeep has been in remarkable form, delivering standout performances in recent matches. He scored 49 runs against Canada in the ICC World Cup League-2, followed by an unbeaten 11 against Oman and 22 runs in the first match of the series against Canada. Throughout his ODI career, Sandeep has taken 116 wickets across 53 innings in 54 matches, with an impressive bowling strike rate of 25.4. In terms of batting, he has accumulated 458 runs in 38 innings, averaging 15.79. Notably, Sandeep boasts the highest batting average of 41.00 in the World Cup League-2 for Nepal, alongside the second-highest strike rate of 103.79, trailing only Anil Sah’s 111.76. His contributions during a recent tri-series included 82 runs and 4 wickets in three matches, underscoring his all-round capabilities.
As for the Nepali team, they currently sit at 17th position in the ODI rankings, while also holding the same rank in the T20I standings. The USA occupies 16th place, while Canada has climbed four positions to reach 15th. Namibia follows Nepal in 18th place, with Oman ranked 19th and the UAE rounding out the top 20 at 20th.
In the T20I all-rounder rankings, Dipendra Singh Airee has made his mark, securing 7th place with 199 rating points, alongside India’s Hardik Pandya. Following him is Rohit Paudel, the team captain, in 54th position. Fast bowler Gulshan Jha shares the 65th position with New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips, while Kushal Bhurtel is in 67th, and Karan KC holds 72nd place.
In the T20I bowling rankings, both Sompal Kami and Dipendra Singh Airee have entered the top 100, with Sompal at 91st and Dipendra at 94th.
In the ODI all-rounder rankings, Dipendra Singh Airee is currently in 48th position (6 spots down), while Kushal Malla is at 51st (7 spots down). Sompal Kami remains steady at 53rd, and Karan KC has climbed 11 spots to 76th. Gulshan Jha has also seen progress, moving up 13 positions to 90th, and Lalit Rajbanshi sits at 94th.
In terms of ODI batting rankings, Aarif Sheikh is at 79th (11 positions down), Kushal Bhurtel is at 80th (4 positions down), and Rohit Paudel remains unchanged at 87th.
For T20I batting, Dipendra Singh Airee holds 45th, Rohit Paudel is in 60th, and Asif Sheikh is at 68th.