Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka has been arrested by the Sydney Police in rape charges as the cricketer faces a tough timeout. The Sri Lanka cricket team exited the T20 World Cup 2022 at the Super 12 stage on Saturday (November 5) and this comes as a big blow to the team and the country. Gunathilaka is in Sydney Polices’ custody while the rest of the team is on their way back home.
Detectives arrested Gunathilaka on Sunday morning over the alleged sexual assault of a 29-year-old woman in Rose Bay earlier this week. Police allege Gunathilaka, 31, and the woman were communicating for a number of days via an online dating app before they met in person.
Police will allege in court that Gunathilaka then sexually assaulted the woman on the evening of November 2. Gunathilaka was arrested at a hotel on Sussex Street, Sydney, shortly before 1am on Sunday. He was taken to Sydney City Police Station and charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent.
The Sri Lankan national was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Bail Court via an audiovisual link today. Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup team, of which Gunathilaka was a squad member, played their final match in the tournament in Sydney on Saturday night.
