Nepal announced on Thursday their continued efforts to include the controversial spinner Sandeep Lamichhane in their T20 World Cup squad, even after he was denied a US visa.

Lamichhane, recently acquitted of an eight-year rape sentence, expressed his regret over the visa denial on social media, calling the situation "unfortunate."

The Cricket Association of Nepal's president, Chatur Bahadur Chand, stated they were exploring all possibilities to enable Lamichhane to participate. Once the face of Nepali cricket, Lamichhane's exclusion from the initial squad followed his conviction for raping a young woman in 2022, a verdict overturned just last week.

Nepal's national team, making their second T20 World Cup appearance, will commence their campaign against the Netherlands on June 4 in Dallas, followed by matches against South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Lamichhane, who garnered significant attention for his leg-spin prowess, had boosted cricket's profile in Nepal before his legal troubles. His journey back to the squad underscores the growing passion for cricket in the Himalayan nation, which gained one-day international status in 2018, partly due to Lamichhane's international success.

The T20 World Cup is set to begin on June 2 in the United States and the West Indies.

Nepal announced on Thursday their continued efforts to include the controversial spinner Sandeep Lamichhane in their T20 World Cup squad, even after he was denied a US visa. Lamichhane, recently acquitted of an eight-year rape sentence, expressed his regret over the visa denial on social media, calling the situation "unfortunate."

The T20 World Cup is set to begin on June 1 in the United States and the West Indies.