Cricket Player Accused Of Raping Woman During T20 World Cup In Australia

A 31-year-old man, reportedly a cricket player from Sri Lanka, has been charged with four counts of rape on Sunday, November 6.

The man was identified as Danushka Gunathilaka who was allegedly in Australia at the time of the rape. He is also accused of taking off a condom during sex with the 29-year-old unnamed woman, BBC reported.

However, the cricket player denied any violence or lack of consent when he was interviewed by the police. Gunathilaka was also denied bail on Monday, November 7, after police considered him a flight risk per court documents.

Authorities added that Gunathilaka and the woman whose identity could not be revealed, met on Tinder on October 29.

Both agreed to meet up on November 2 in Sydney where the T20 World Cup was being held. They went out for drinks and dinner before heading back to the woman’s home.

The 31-year-old man was then accused of engaging in forceful sexual intercourse with the woman. Further, Gunathilaka is also being accused of allegedly choking the woman three times. In one of those chokes, the cricket player allegedly did so for up to 30 seconds.

"The complainant was fearing for her life and could not get away from the accused," police said in court documents.

The woman also alleged that she noticed a condom on the floor during the assaults despite asking Gunathilaka to wear one.

The female victim also made it clear that she did not consent to sex without a condom or to sex with choking.

After the incident, the woman told what had happened to two friends and also spoke to a counseling service. She also went to see a doctor before reporting the matter to the police.

The woman would then undergo sexual assault forensic examination at a hospital and also undergo a brain scan to check for any injury resulting from the alleged choking.

Sri Lanka Cricket has reportedly suspended Gunathilaka from games. They also formed their own panel to conduct and investigation on the incident, the Guardian reported.