Sandeep spins into Hobart to complete Hurricanes roster

Nepalese leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has found a new home in the KFC BBL, signing up with the Hobart Hurricanes for BBL|10.

Sandeep, who is entering his third season of BBL cricket at just 20 years of age, has played the past two summers with the Melbourne Stars where he formed a potent partnership with Adam Zampa. The Stars yesterday signed Zahir Khan who joins the Melbourne club from the Brisbane Heat.

Sandeep will link up with the with the Hurricanes' squad in January and will be available for the remainder of the BBL season.

The Hurricanes, who yesterday announced seam-bowling allrounder Keemo Paul would also be joining the club this summer, have already secured promising young England spin-bowling allrounder Will Jacks as a short-term international player.

The Hurricanes' spin department will not be lacking with teenage Victorian wrist-spinner Wil Parker also on their books for BBL|10 after the club moved on from Afghanistan's Qais Ahmad who struggled his way to 12 wickets and an economy rate of more than 8 an over from 15 games last summer.

Sandeep, in his previous two seasons of BBL cricket, has taken 26 wickets at an average of 19.80 and 7.1 runs per over from 21 games.

"I am humbled and honoured to join the Hobart Hurricanes family for BBL|10," Sandeep said in a statement put out by the Hurricanes.

"I have always got a lot of love and support in Australia, and the premium quality of competition in Big Bash is exciting. I can't wait to play at the Blundstone Arena."

Hurricanes head coach Adam Griffith said Lamichhane added an x-factor to his side's bowling attack.

"We have seen how Sandeep can change a game with his mystery spin, and he can bowl at any stage of the innings. He's a proven wicket taker who will add yet another dimension to our bowling group."

Sandeep is Nepalese cricket's most famous face, and the only one from the country plying his trade on the global T20 circuit.

He was a breakout star at the Under 19 World Cup as a 16-year-old in early 2016 where he was the second-highest wicket-taker, but his international profile really started to take off after he was spotted by former Australia captain Michael Clarke at a Hong Kong T20 tournament later that year.

He spent the 2016-17 summer with Clarke's Western Suburbs club in NSW Premier Cricket, before going to on help his nation win their first ever ODI in August 2017. Soon after he was picked up for the Indian Premier League in 2018, and also played in that year's Caribbean Premier League.

The Stars liked what they saw, signing up Lamichhane, and were rewarded as he claimed two wickets in his very first over of BBL cricket, with the prize scalps of Shane Watson and Callum Ferguson on his debut against the Sydney Thunder.

Hobart Hurricanes BBL|10 squad: Scott Boland, Tim David, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, James Faulkner, Peter Handscomb, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, David Moody, Mitchell Owen, Tim Paine, Will Parker, D'Arcy Short, Matthew Wade, Nick Winter, Mac Wright. Overseas players: Dawid Malan, Sandeep Lamichhane, Keemo Paul. Overseas replacement players: Will Jacks, Colin Ingram