Sri Lankan Cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka Arrested For Sexual Assault in Sydney

The Sri Lankan cricketer had stayed back in Sydney after a hamstring injury had left him unable to play in the T20.

Danushka Gunathilaka had suffered a hamstring injury leaving him unable to play in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

(Photo courtesy: 

Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka has reportedly been arrested by Sydney police following allegations of sexual assault, even as the ICC World T20 2022 plays out, on Sunday, 6 November.

What do we know? According to the New South Wales police, Gunathilaka was arrested after a 29-year-old woman accused him of sexually assaulting her on the evening of Wednesday, 2 November. Police say Gunathilaka has been charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent.

What are the allegations? New South Wales police stated that the 29-year-old woman in question met Gunathilaka through an online dating app and were communicating for a few days before they met. They alleged that he sexually assaulted her at a residence in Rose Bay, a suburb in Sydney.

The Background: The Australian cricket team was in Sydney for the ICC T20 2022 World Cup and was eliminated from the series after a loss to England on Sunday.

Gunathilaka had missed a significant portion of the T20 World Cup because of an injured hamstring. But despite being replaced in the World Cup squad, he stayed back with the team in Australia. He had allegedly met the woman through a dating app during this time.

What next? The police have said that Gunathilaka was refused bail to appear at Australia's Parramatta Bail Court through audio-visual/video-conference.

A PTI report, citing sources, states that the charges against Gunathilaka are for rape, adding that the Sri Lankan cricket team has left Sydney without the cricketer.

The cricketer is likely to remain in Sydney as this plays out. This is a developing story and will be updated.