Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane, who made his IPL debut recently, has been added to the ICC World XI squad that will take on Windies on May 31. The match will be played at Lord’s and the funds from it will be used to redevelop the stadium in the Caribbean, which were damaged due to hurricanes last year. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Shakib al Hasan has withdrawn due to personal reasons. Sandeep Lamichhane Becomes First Cricketer From Nepal to Play in IPL

Lamichhane, 17, will join a star-studded line-up, which also comprises Eoin Morgan (captain), Shahid Afridi, Tamim Iqbal, Dinesh Karthik, Rashid Khan, Mitchell McClenaghan, Shoaib Malik, Hardik Pandya, Thisara Perera and Luke Ronchi against the ICC World T20 champion side, which includes the likes of Samuel Badree, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Marlon Samuels and Andre Russell among others, read an ICC release.

After being picked for the World XI, the youngster said it’s an honour not just for him but for Nepal as well. “I am privileged to have been chosen to be part of the ICC World XI against the Windies. It is an honour for the entire country and passionate followers of Nepal cricket, as well as an indicator that we are making our mark on the international game,” he said.

“Training, sharing the dressing room and playing with some of the trend-setters who we saw on television while growing up is something I look forward to. This is an opportunity for me to learn and improve, and I am committed to cashing in on this,” he added.

Lamichhane also said that playing at Lord’s just like any cricketer is his dream. “What can I say about Lord’s, it’s the Home of Cricket, it’s a complete history of cricket and a dream venue for any cricketer. To play there in 2016 was a memorable occasion, which I look forward to reliving later this month. I hope I will continue to get opportunities in future which, in turn, will help me improve my skills as well as my country to strengthen its position on the world cricket map.”

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 16, 2018 04:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).