Sandeep Lamichhane, 22, has been the face of cricket in Nepal, being the only player from the Himalayan country to feature in major Twenty20 leagues across the world. He has been a part of IPL, BBL, PSL, CPL and many international level franchise teams.
He was suspended as captain of Nepal last month and left the Caribbean Premier League after being accused of raping a teenager. He has denied any wrongdoing.
“We took him into our custody, conducted a medical checkup at a hospital and the investigation will continue,” Kathmandu Police spokesman Dinesh Mainali told Reuters.
Dressed in a white hoodie and black cap, Lamichhane did not comment to the media after being detained at the Kathmandu airport. He was seen avoiding giving direct answers to the questions.
In a Facebook post before being taken into custody, the cricketer said he would “fully cooperate at all stages of the investigation” and vowed to “prove my innocence”.
He wrote, “I know that I am facing a difficult time of conspiracy and false accusation and its impact cannot be imagined.”
“I will soon seek legal support against wrongful prosecution and charges leveled against me and I am sure that I will get justice and I will return to the cricket field soon…”