Tamim Rahman, once the public face of the now-defunct Dambulla Thunders, has pleaded guilty to attempting to fix matches during the 2024 Lanka Premier League. A Colombo High Court judge handed the British-Bangladeshi businessman a five-year sentence, suspended on the condition that he serves four years of rigorous imprisonment if he re-offends. He was also fined LKR 24 million (about USD 78,000).
Court papers note that Rahman “sought to induce a player to manipulate match events” in breach of Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports Act, the 2019 legislation created to criminalise fixing. Rahman was detained at Bandaranaike International Airport in May 2024 while attempting to leave the country, prompting Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to terminate the Thunders’ franchise agreement.
A sealed arrest warrant remains in place for Pakistani national Mujeeb ur Rahman, alleged to have assisted the scheme. The International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit originally raised the alarm, and ICC investigators have been working alongside local police since mid-2024.
Rahman signalled his intention to plead guilty last December, telling the court, through counsel, that he wished “to expedite proceedings and bring the matter to a close”. The admission reduces a lengthy trial but does little to calm debate over franchise ownership in the young LPL.
The Thunders have already been through four owners in six seasons and now play as the Dambulla Sixers under US-based Sequoia Consultants, led by former Sri Lanka Under-19 batter Priyanga de Silva. None of the current LPL teams is still run by its original proprietors.
SLC said in a brief statement that it “accepts the verdict and will review vetting mechanisms for future investors”. ICC ACU general manager Alex Marshall welcomed the ruling, adding: “Strong domestic laws, backed by effective policing, remain the best deterrent.”
Rahman’s case is the first completed under the LPL banner; however, it is not the only one in Sri Lankan courts. Former international off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake has pleaded not guilty to separate fixing charges linked to the 2020 season and awaits trial. In May 2025, Galle Marvels T10 owner Anurag Thakkar was convicted of a similar offence and allowed to leave the island after settling financial penalties.
While player corruption in Sri Lanka has been sporadic, the latest verdict highlights persistent vulnerabilities around franchise funding. As one anti-corruption official, speaking on background, put it: “If the money source is unstable, so is the competition.”
Fixing remains a worldwide threat, yet Sri Lankan authorities, armed with their 2019 Act, have demonstrated a willingness to prosecute. The real test, insiders argue, lies in whether future vetting and monitoring can keep pace with the rapid turnover of franchise investors.
