Star leg-spinner of the national cricket team Sandeep Lamichhane and his mentor Raju Khadka were on Wednesday feted by Chitwan Cricket Association at their hometown in Bharatpur.

The 17-year old played an influential role in Nepal’s qualification to the ICC World Cup Qualifiers to be held from March 4 in Zimbabwe. The leg-spinner claimed 17 wickets and earned player-of-the-series award in Namibia as Nepal lost the title match of the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 to the United Arab Emirates having already secured a passage to Zimbabwe. Nepal had topped the group ahead of the UAE as both the teams sealed their berths for Zimbabwe before playing for the title on Feb 15.

Lamichhane also became the first Nepali cricketer to feature in the lucrative Indian Premier League twenty20 cricket tournament after Delhi Daredevils picked him at the auction on January 28. Lamichhane had trained with Khadka, the former national team skipper, who has been running cricket academy in Narayangadh, Chitwan, for the last 11 years.

“Lamichhane joined our academy two years earlier,” Khadka recalled. “He told me he played cricket in India and want to learn more skills in my academy. I asked him to bowl at the nets and I could see his potential,” said Khadka. “Despite his talent, I was not anticipating him to take such a giant leap in Nepali cricket in so short a time,” said Khadka referring to Lamichhane’s selection by the Delhi Daredevils.

Lamichhane said that Daredevils had picked him in the team after being impressed by his bowling. Chitwan Cricket Association presented Rs 20,000 to Lamichhane and Rs 10,000 to Khadka.