Sri Lankan authorities plan to arrest Arjuna Ranatunga. The former World Cup-winning captain is accused of corruption linked to an oil procurement deal that allegedly took place during his tenure as petroleum minister in 2017.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is conducting an anti-corruption campaign aimed at addressing past political wrongdoing. This case is a part of that campaign.
Investigators allege that Arjuna Ranatunga, along with his elder brother Dhammika Ranatunga, altered standard fuel tender procedures. Dhammika was then chairman of the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
Instead of following competitive long-term contracts, they are accused of approving repeated “spot purchases” of fuel at higher prices. Authorities claim that this move favoured certain suppliers and resulted in financial losses to the government.
Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption body, CIABOC, told the Colombo Magistrate that 27 such fuel purchases had resulted in an estimated loss of around 800 million Sri Lankan rupees ( ₹23.5 crore).
Sri Lankan authorities have informed the court that Arjuna Ranatunga will be arrested upon his return to the country. It has not been disclosed where the 60-year-old is currently located.
He was last publicly visible in Sri Lanka around November. Amid the probe heating up, he left the country.
His elder brother was already arrested. He was later released on bail. Dhammika, who holds dual Sri Lankan and US citizenship, has a travel ban imposed on him.
Another brother, Prasanna Ranatunga, was earlier convicted in a separate extortion case. The former minister of tourism/urban development was given a suspended prison term.
The next court hearing is scheduled for 13 March 2026.
Arjuna Ranatunga’s role in Sri Lankan cricket
Arjuna Ranatunga is one of the most influential and controversial figures in Sri Lankan cricket. He first rose to global fame as the captain who led Sri Lanka to their historic 1996 ODI World Cup victory. It changed how the world viewed them as a team.
As a player, Ranatunga was a tough left-handed middle-order batter. He represented Sri Lanka in 93 Tests and 269 ODIs between 1982 and 1999. He scored more than 13,000 international runs.
Ranatunga was instrumental in building a confident Sri Lanka side that could challenge cricket’s strongest nations.
After retiring, he moved into administration and politics. He served as president of Sri Lanka Cricket and later headed committees linked to the sports ministry.
However, his tenure often brought conflict, court battles and clashes with officials and the ICC.
