Former Dambulla Thunders owner pleads guilty to fixing charges

The former owner of the now-defunct Dambulla Thunders franchise in the Lanka Premier League (LPL), Tamim Rahman, has pled guilty to charges of match-fixing and has been handed a five-year suspended sentence of four years rigorous imprisonment, as well as a fine of LKR 24 million (USD 78,000 approx.).

Rahman, a British national of Bangladesh origin, was arrested in May 2024 ahead of the 2024 LPL season, as he was preparing to leave the country, following which Sri Lanka Cricket terminated the Dambulla Thunders franchise.

In October 2025, he was officially indicted under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports Act No. 24 of 2019 - specifically designed to criminalise instances of match-fixing - on charges of attempting to pressure a player, who was taking part in the 2024 LPL season, into match-fixing.

In December 2025, Rahman's legal counsel had informed the Colombo High Court that Rahman was prepared to plead guilty to expedite court proceedings. There is also an outstanding warrant for the arrest of Pakistani national Mujeeb ur Rahman for allegedly aiding the scheme.

Since the termination of the Thunders franchise, under new owners Sequoia Consultants - a US-based civil engineering consultant firm headed by former Sri Lanka Under-19 cricketer Priyanga de Silva - the franchise is now known as Dambulla Sixers, marking the fourth change in ownership of the franchise since the inaugural LPL in 2020.

The conclusion of the anti-corruption case against Rahman is the first such case involving the LPL. However in May 2025, Anurag Thakkar, owner of the Galle Marvels franchise in the Lanka T10 League, had been convicted of match-fixing charges and allowed to leave the country after settling financial penalties.

There is also an ongoing corruption case against former Sri Lankan cricketer Sachithra Senanayake over his alleged role in attempting to fix matches during the 2020 LPL season. Senanayake has pled not guilty.

Rahman's conviction sets a strong precedent with regard to the enforcement of Sri Lanka's anti-corruption sports laws, while also highlighting the cooperation between Sri Lankan law enforcement and the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit, which initially flagged the suspicious activities.

The entire ordeal, however, has put the spotlight on Sri Lanka Cricket's LPL owner vetting process. As of the LPL 2026 season, none of the franchises are run by their original owners, with each team undergoing at least three changes of ownership since the inaugural edition in 2020.