Why does Sri Lanka seek arrest of world cup winning captain in the Graft Case? Know all about it

Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup–winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga is set to be arrested on corruption charges linked to his tenure as petroleum minister, according to a submission made before a Colombo court on Monday. The development was reported by news agency AFP, citing Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption watchdog.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) told the Colombo Magistrate Court that Ranatunga and his elder brother Dammika Ranatunga are accused of altering established procedures for awarding long-term crude oil procurement contracts in 2017. Instead, authorities allege that the duo authorised spot purchases at significantly higher costs, causing substantial losses to the state.

According to CIABOC, the alleged irregularities involved 27 crude oil purchases and resulted in an estimated loss of nearly 800 million Sri Lankan rupees, approximately USD 5 million, to the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC). At the time, Arjuna Ranatunga was serving as minister of petroleum industries, while his brother Dammika was the chairman of the CPC.

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From World Cup glory to legal trouble: Arjuna Ranatunga named in major corruption probe

The commission informed Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama that Arjuna Ranatunga is currently overseas and will be arrested upon his return to Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Dammika Ranatunga was taken into custody on Monday, produced before court, and later released on bail. The magistrate has imposed a travel ban on him, noting his dual citizenship of Sri Lanka and the United States. The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for March 13, 2026.

The case forms part of a broader anti-corruption drive initiated by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government, which came to power in 2024 after pledging to crack down on alleged financial misconduct involving state institutions.

Arjuna Ranatunga, now 62, remains one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic cricketing figures. A combative left-handed batter, he led the national team to its historic World Cup triumph in 1996. Over his career, Ranatunga played 93 Tests and 269 ODIs, scoring more than 10,000 international runs. He also captained Sri Lanka to their first-ever Test series victory in England and holds the unique distinction of representing the country in both its first and 100th Test matches.