Sri Lanka Cricketer Arrested Over Accusations of Sexual Assault Amid T20 World Cup

Danushka Gunathilaka, a Sri Lankan cricketer, was detained on suspicion of sexual assault while on national duty for the SL cricket team at the T20 World Cup, according to reports on Sunday.

The 31-year-old Gunathilaka was detained and brought to Sydney City police station in the early hours of Sunday after a probe into an alleged sexual assault of a woman on November 2 was initiated.

The Sri Lankan team was eliminated from the competition after Sunday’s loss against England. The team has reported left for Sri Lanka without Gunathilaka.

The left-hander featured in Sri Lanka’s opening match against Namibia but could not open his account.

The New South Wales police also put out this matter on their official website saying, “Sex Crimes Squad detectives have charged a Sri Lankan national following an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a woman in Sydney’s east last week,”

According to the statement, a 29-year-old lady was sexually assaulted by Gunathilaka at a residence in Rose Bay earlier this week.

“As part of ongoing investigations, a crime scene examination was undertaken by specialist police at an address in Rose Bay yesterday. Following further inquiries, a 31-year-old man was arrested at a hotel on Sussex Street, Sydney, shortly before 1 AM today (Sunday 6 November 2022),” the statement added.

However, there has been no official communication pertaining to this matter from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Board.