KATHMANDU, JANUARY 13Suspended nationwide cricket team skipper Sandeep Lamichhane, who was released on bail in a rape case today, stated he would return to cricket very soon .

Talking with mediapersons outside the central prison, Lamichhane said he would rebound to the sport.

Very quickly, stated Lamichhane when inquired about his return.

Lamichhane was suspended by the Cricket Association of Nepal from the nationwide squad after an arrest warrant was provided against him in a rape case.

The cricket governing body is yet to respond on the issue. Lamichhanes high-flying career took a nosedive after a minor girl submitted an FIR at Gaushala Police Circle implicating the cricketer of raping her numerous times at a hotel in Kathmandu on August 21.

He was detained from Tribhuvan International Airport on October 6.

After Kathmandu District Court denied bail and sent him to central prison in the rape case, Lamichhane submitted a petition at the Patan High Court.

The case was delayed thrice before the division bench of justices Dhruba Raj Nanda and Ramesh Dhakal approved Lamichhane bail yesterday.The High Court has limited Lamichhane from travelling abroad, trying to get in touch with the accused or her household, or posting anything associated to the case on social networks or public platforms.After acquiring essential files from the Patan High Court, Lamichhanes bro Mohan and lawyers transferred the bail amount of two million rupees at the Kathmandu District Court, which released the release order.

The main prison then released Lamichhane in the afternoon and the cricketer left of the gate where he was welcomed by hundreds of supporters and fans.Security personnel briefly struggled to manage the scenario after Lamichhane was surrounded by media and fans outside the gate.Talking briefly to the media, Lamichhane stated he had been respecting courts orders from the start and that he would continue to do so in future also.

I will follow my legal representatives guidelines and they have asked me not to speak about the case, said Lamichhane.

I am not even in a frame of mind to talk.

At this moment, I want to be with my household.

I wish to thank you all for this support and love, and time will unfold everything, he added.Lamichhane has been accused of raping a small at a hotel in Kathmandu on August 21, on the eve of national groups departure to Nairobi for five-match Twenty20 International and three-match One Day Series against Kenya.

After leading Nepal to 3-2 victory in the T20I series and also declaring the player-of-the-series award in Nairobi, the globe-trotting cricketer left for the West Indies to bet Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League.Lamichhane had to interrupt the CPL journey after the case surfaced and the CAN suspended him following an arrest warrant from Nepal Police on September 8.

The TIA Immigration Department also blacklisted Lamichhane, while the Nepal Police issued a diffusion notice asking Interpol member countries to locate the cricketer.Lamichhane increased to fame after he was chosen to play in the Indian Premier League by Delhi Daredevils in 2018.

The very first Nepali cricketer to play in the IPL, Lamichhane never recalled and made a fairy tale trip across the globe, as he was purchased by Australias Big Bash, Sri Lanka Premier League, CPL, Pakistan Premier League, T10 League in the United Arab Emirates, and Englands The Hundred.A variation of this article appears in the print on January 14, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.