[Watch] When Scotland players refused to shake hands with Sandeep Lamichhane over his rape charges

A video of Scotland men's cricket team refusing to shake hands with Nepal's Sandeep Lamichhane after their match in Kirtipur on February 17 is going viral for a second time this year. The leg-spinner has been accused of raping a minor and is out on bail pending a final judgment in the Kathmandu District Court.

Scotland's gesture was a silent protest to Lamichhane's participation in the ICC's Cricket World Cup League 2 series. In the video, Scotland captain Richie Berrignton can be seen sticking his hand out but not shaking the spinner's hands after the match. The latter then just walked off without talking to any other player.

You can watch it here:

The video has come to attention since Indian captain Rohit Sharma gave Lamichhane a signed jersey after the countries' first-ever ODI against each other in the Asia Cup 2023. Rohit, and those supporting it as a "kind gesture", are being called out for being unaware/not acting aptly about the serious accusations.

Not only Scotland, but Namibia's players as well refused to shake hands with the spinner after a game earlier this year.

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How is Sandeep Lamichhane still playing international cricket?

Nepal’s most high-profile cricketer, Sandeep Lamichhane, who has also played in the IPL, was arrested in October last year, almost a month after a court issued a warrant against him over the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl. He was taken into custody but denied any wrongdoing.

He was stripped of captaincy and banned from international cricket but the ban was lifted after he was released on bail in January. Speculation was rife that he might not participate in the Asia Cup because of a court hearing in the case. But the court has deferred the hearing to September 7 in late August.

The cricketer's legal team has been accused of presenting false documents to the court in an attempt to depict the girl as not a minor and show that their interactions were consensual, which the court saw through and called for an in-depth inquiry.

They have also been blamed for revealing the identity of the alleged victim through social media. She's currently under the care of Maiti Nepal, an organization dedicated to safeguarding girls against gender-based violence. Many people have joined in protests against the Cricket Association of Nepal in Kathmandu.