Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane bounced back to mark a successful debut in the Afghanistan Premier League picking up 2-23 for Nangarhar Leopards.

Lamichhane, who missed the first half of the tournament due to his national team commitment, was introduced in the third over and was hit for 18 runs upfront with opener Ihsanullah alone smashing two boundaries and a six.

Brought back in the eighth over, Lamichhane conceded just one run and had a successful third over picking up two wickets in a space of three deliveries. The teen leg spinner had South African Cameroon Delport caught by Naveen-ul-Haq before clean bowling Zimbabwean international Sikandar Raza for a two-ball duck. He conceded just two runs each in his third and fourth overs.

Leopards are currently at the fourth spot of the five-team Twenty20 League and are staring elimination having already lost five matches and won only two out of the seven matches they have played so far. The Leopards side is led by England international Ben Cutting.

APL is the fourth professional Twenty20 league added to Lamichhane’s globetrotting career that began with a dream debut with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Daredevils.

Lamichhane, who played three matches for Daredevils to impress the world in a brief appearance, followed the IPL start with Global Twenty20 Challenge in Canada. He then went on to play the Caribbean Premier League playing for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.