Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka accused of rape dragged off bus by cops

Cricket star Danushka Gunathilaka was moments away from heading to the airport to fly home when he was dragged off the team bus and arrested by police.

The Sri Lankan allrounder spent the night behind bars and will appear in court in Sydney on Monday charged with raping an Australian woman he met on Tinder.

He faces four counts of rape for allegedly sexually assaulting a 29-year-old woman at a Rose Bay home last week.

The injured star and his teammates were preparing to leave their hotel in Sydney‘s CBD about 1am on Sunday after crashing out of the T20 World Cup hours earlier.

Danusha Gunathilaka (pictured) was arrested by police and escorted off the team bus outside their Sydney hotel early Sunday morning

Danushka Gunathilaka (pictured) was injured but remained with the team for their T20 World Cup campaign Australia

The team bus was moments away from departing the hotel for Sydney International Airport when police swooped, dragging Gunathilaka off the bus.

As his teammates flew home to Sri Lanka hours later, Gunathilaka was interrogated by police and charged. He was refused bail and spent Sunday night in the holding cells of Surry Hills Police Station.

He is said to be very concerned but ‘holding up OK’, according to his lawyer. 

‘He was hoping it would get to court today (Sunday), so he’s disappointed that didn’t happen, but he is holding up OK,’ Ananda Amaranath told The Daily Telegraph.

‘He is quite concerned about what will happen if he can’t get back to Sri Lanka… these are serious charges and it could take a year or more for this to be finalised, so he is very worried about that too.’

Police allege Gunathilaka raped a 29-year-old woman at her eastern suburbs home in Rose Bay last Wednesday after they met for prearranged drinks at Opera Bar in Circular Quay.

Danusha Gunathilaka’s lawyer says the star cricket allrounder (pictured) is ‘holding up OK’

Gunathilaka allegedly sexually assaulted the woman four times during a two hour period.

The woman filed a complaint with police on Saturday afternoon with Gunathilaka was arrested 10 hours later.

NSW sex crimes squad commander Jayne Doherty said the woman took many steps to ensure her safety, including communicating with Gunathilaka for several days before meeting and going for a date in a public place.

She said the woman didn’t recognise Gunathilaka as a cricketer, but simply matched with him on Tinder.

‘On November 2, they met for prearranged drinks, had something to eat and went back to the young lady’s home,’ Superintendent Doherty told reporters on Sunday.

‘It was just unfortunate. It has nothing to do with meeting on a dating app or anything.

‘Police investigated and once we established there was a case to answer to, we made the arrest.’

 Danusha Gunathilaka is due to face court on Sunday after spending the night in a police cell

Gunathilaka was injured three weeks ago and did not play in the T20 World Cup but remained in Australia with his Sri Lankan teammates.

Sri Lanka finished fourth in group one with two wins and three losses, including a narrow defeat against England at the SCG on Saturday night.

England will face group two winner India in the semi-finals in Adelaide on Thursday.

New Zealand will play group 2 runner-up Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

Reigning champions Australia won’t defend their T20 title after failing to progress past the group stage.

Danushka Gunathilaka (pictured) was charged over the alleged sexual assault of an Australian woman at a home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs