A court in Nepal found the Himalayan nation's highest profile cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman and fixed Jan. 10 for sentencing.

The 23-year-old has been the face of cricket in Nepal and was the only player from the country to take part in prominent Twenty20 leagues across the world.

He was suspended as Nepal's captain last year and taken into custody after police issued an arrest warrant for him over the assault in 2022. He was later released on bail.

Lamichhane could face up to 10 years in jail. His lawyers said he would appeal the verdict to a higher court.

"We did not expect this judgement... we are frustrated," lawyer Sabita Bhandari Baral told Reuters about Friday's verdict by the Kathmandu district court.

"We'll definitely appeal," she said.