June 5, 2025: In a major development in Sri Lankan cricket, former national off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake has been formally indicted by the Hambantota High Court for attempting to corrupt fellow players during the 2020 Lanka Premier League (LPL). This marks the first-ever indictment under Sri Lanka’s newly enacted anti-corruption law targeting match-fixing in sports.
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According to the Attorney General’s Department, Senanayake allegedly approached Tharindu Ratnayake, a fellow national cricketer who was then playing for the Colombo Kings, with an offer to manipulate match outcomes.
A report by the Daily Mirror further revealed that Senanayake also made similar attempts to contact two other LPL players from Dubai, trying to lure them into match-fixing schemes during the inaugural edition of the tournament.
Senanayake, who played international cricket for Sri Lanka between 2012 and 2016, now becomes the central figure in a groundbreaking legal case that could set a precedent in the region’s fight against corruption in sports.
The case is likely to bring further scrutiny to the integrity of domestic leagues and intensify calls for stricter enforcement of anti-corruption measures in cricket.