Former Sri Lanka international and IPL player Sachithra Senanayake has been formally indicted for attempting to fix matches during the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) in 2020. The 40-year-old off-spinner becomes the first national-level cricketer prosecuted under Sri Lanka’s recently enacted anti-corruption legislation, according to a report by PTI, marking a significant moment in the country’s sporting legal history.
Senanayake, who played 74 international matches across formats for Sri Lanka and was part of their 2014 T20 World Cup-winning squad, was charged by the Attorney General’s Department and appeared before the High Court in Hambantota.
Targeted fellow players during 2020 LPL
According to local reports, Senanayake approached national cricketer Tharindu Ratnayake, then playing for the Colombo Kings, in an attempt to manipulate match outcomes during the 2020 tournament.
The allegations extend further. “Senanayake is also alleged to have contacted two other cricketers participating in the inaugural LPL in 2020 via telephone from Dubai, attempting to persuade them to engage in match-fixing,” a report in the Sri Lankan Daily Mirror stated.
Senanayake was initially arrested in 2023 but was later released on bail. In the same year, a local court also imposed a travel ban on him.
Potential penalties and broader context
Under the country’s anti-corruption law, which was introduced to strengthen integrity in sport, Senanayake faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to 100 million Sri Lankan rupees (approximately $333,000), or both if convicted.
Senanayake has denied all allegations against him and maintains his innocence.
His case emerges amid increasing scrutiny around corruption in cricket. Earlier this year, Bangladesh’s Shohely Akhter was banned for five years after admitting to five violations of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code, becoming the first female cricketer penalized for such offenses.
Once a promising career now under legal cloud
Senanayake’s cricketing journey included stints with the Sri Lankan national team between 2012 and 2016, where he took 78 international wickets. He also featured in the Indian Premier League, playing eight matches for Kolkata Knight Riders.
The indictment places him at the center of one of Sri Lanka’s most high-profile corruption cases in recent memory and underscores the growing global emphasis on rooting out match-fixing in cricket leagues worldwide.
