Danushka Gunathilaka, who was arrested in Sydney while on tour for the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup, has been charged with the alleged sexual assault of a lady.
On Saturday, officers began an investigation after receiving accusations that a 29-year-old woman had been sexually assaulted earlier in the week at a Rose Bay residence.
Officers say the victim met Gunathilaka after chatting with him on a dating app for many days before Wednesday’s alleged assault.
Early on Sunday morning, the hitter was detained at his hotel in the Australian city.
The 31-year-old player was charged with four charges of sexual intercourse without consent, according to police in New South Wales.
He was denied bail and is due in court on Monday to face charges.
Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty stated that the woman took precautions to ensure her safety, including contacting the man several days before meeting in a public place for a date.
“It was simply unlucky. It has nothing to do with dating apps or anything else,” Ms. Doherty stated.
She added, “The duo met at a prearranged meeting in Sydney.” Before returning to the young lady’s residence, they consumed alcoholic beverages and food.
“Police will allege that the male abused the female multiple times while they were in her residence.”
Sri Lankan Cricket stated that it would closely monitor the court proceedings and, in cooperation with the International Cricket Council, will investigate the matter.
Gunathilaka traveled to Australia with Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup team but did not play due to a hamstring injury that forced him out of competition.
The left-handed batter has participated in approximately 100 T20 and one-day internationals and eight test matches for Sri Lanka.
