Nepal and former Jamaica Tallawahs spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has been cleared of rape after a hearing at an appeal court.

Lamichhane who was found guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman in December 2023, was sentenced to eight years in prison in January of this year.

However the 23-year-old was acquitted by the Patan High Court which heard his appeal in the Nepalese city of Lalitpur.

Lamichhane had been the face of cricket in Nepal having played in Australia’s Big Bash T20 and the Indian Premier League.

At the time of his arrest in 2022, Lamichhane was taking part in the Caribbean Premier League as a member of the Jamaica Tallawahs, which subsequently announced he would be leaving the tournament with immediate effect.

The leg-spinner was also suspended as Nepal captain following the accusations and made a controversial return to the Nepal side in February 2023 following his release on bail for their matches against Scotland and Namibia.

His return was met with protests, with players from both opposition nations refusing to shake his hand.