Everest Premier League (EPL) franchise cricket team Kathmandu Kings XI have named leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane as their captain for the upcoming season.

“Sandeep Lamichhane is the global brand image of Nepali Cricket. He has established himself as Mr T20 and represented himself on the world stage for all the major cricketing leagues around the world at such a young age. We are proud to announce him as the captain of Kathmandu Kings XI,” said Kathmandu CEO Raj Jung Thapa after appointing the birthday boy as their new captain on Monday.

The 21-year-old will replace Sompal Kami, who joined Chitwan Tigers in January last year for the 2020 season. Chitwan, last month, announced Kami as their captain.

“I am buzzing with excitement with this news on my birthday. Leading a team that has iconic players like Shahid Afridi and many celebrated national and international players is a huge responsibility. I would like to thank the team management of KKXI for their trust in me,” said Lamichhane.

This is the second time Lamichhane is captaining a franchise cricket team in the country. He had previously led Biratnagar Titans in the 2018 Pokhara Premier League. He was also the captain of Kathmandu Mayor XI in the Kathmandu Mayor Cup held in March this year.

Kathmandu announced the former Pakistan cricket team captain Afridi as their iconic international star for the tournament on July 26.

The last edition was able to attract international cricket stars like West Indies' Chrish Gayle and South Africa's Hashim Amla but was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The fourth edition of the T20 cricket tournament is set to start from September 25 to October 9.