Sri Lankan batter Danushka Gunathilaka gets dropped off three of the four sexual charges against him

After being accused of raping a woman in Sydney, Sri Lankan golfer Danushka Gunathilaka had three of four sexual assault allegations against him dismissed. The public prosecutor dismissed three of the four allegations of sexual activity without consent against the 32-year-old in a Sydney court on Thursday. The defendant was in Sydney for the T20 World Cup.

In November 2022, the batsman allegedly went on a date with the 29-year-old woman before sexually assaulting her when they got home to Sydney's eastern suburbs. The victim "was fearing for her life and could not get free from the accused" amid the November 2022 incident, according to a police fact document submitted to the court.

Last month, the prosecution successfully requested an adjournment, extending the hearing past the six-month deadline for charge certification. Alen Sahinovic, the attorney representing Gunathilaka, contested the delay, claiming that his client was experiencing excessive difficulty as a foreign national with stringent bail requirements and little access to family and social support.

Gunathilaka accompanied Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup squad on its trip to Australia in 2022, however he only got to play in one game before suffering a hamstring injury that forced him to withdraw from the tournament. He was detained early on November 6 at Sydney's Hyatt Regency Hotel, just before he was to catch a flight back to Sri Lanka along with the rest of the team after they were eliminated from the competition.

Taking a look at the upcoming schedule for Sri Lanka

The schedule for the next ODI series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka's men's squad was released by Sri Lanka Cricket on Tuesday. The hosts Sri Lanka hope to concentrate on getting ready for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier games slated in Zimbabwe between June and July by taking part in this three-match ODI leg. On May 29, the Afghanistan team will arrive in Colombo and start their training session. On June 2, 4, and 7, respectively, all three games are set to be contested within the MRIC Stadium in Hambantota.