T20 World Cup 2022: Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka arrested on rape charges in Sydney

Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka, who was part of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 squad, has been arrested in Sydney on Saturday on rape charges. 

According to local media, the cricket player who had an injury three weeks ago and was forced to remain in Australia has been charged with four charges of sexual intercourse without consent.

The 31-year-old left-handed opener was not sent back home as the team management kept him with the squad. In fact, the Sri Lanka team left for home on Sunday morning without him after being knocked out of the World Cup.

The cricketer was detained from the Sydney hotel after a 29-year-old woman allegedly reported a sexual assault to police. The alleged attack apparently happened on Wednesday earlier in the week at a residence in Rose Bay, New South Wales.

"The woman met with the man after communicating with him for a number of days via an online dating application; it’s alleged he then sexually assaulted her on the evening of November 2, 2022. 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, November 6, 2022)," New South Wales police were reported to have said in a statement.

"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 AVL [audio visual links] today," the statement further said. 

The cricketer had suffered a hamstring injury and had to withdraw from the Sri Lankan World Cup squad.

The left-handed batsman made his international debut back in 2015 and has featured for Sri Lanka in eight Test matches, 47 ODIs, and 46 T20Is.