Former Sri Lanka cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara has accused Dublin-based budget airline Ryanair’s gate personnel at the Dublin Airport of discriminatory and threatening behaviour while he was travelling with his family.
The former wicketkeeper-batter described the experience as shocking and unacceptable in a social media post.
Sangakkara shared his complaint on X, questioning whether other passengers had faced similar treatment from the airline’s gate staff in the Irish capital. He alleged that the interaction involved an inappropriate tone of address, mishandling of procedures and behaviour he perceived as threatening.
The former cricketer did not provide further details about the circumstances that led to the incident, identify the employees involved or explain which airport procedures were allegedly mishandled. The allegations have not been independently verified.
Sangakkara calls experience shocking and unacceptable
In his post on X, Sangakkara questioned whether other passengers had experienced discriminatory conduct from Ryanair gate personnel in Dublin.
He said he and his family had just experienced what he described as shocking treatment, criticising the manner in which staff addressed them and the handling of procedures. He added that such behaviour was unacceptable towards any passenger and described it as his first bad experience in Dublin.
Sangakkara is one of Sri Lanka’s most accomplished international cricketers. During his international career, he represented the country in 134 Test matches, 404 One Day Internationals and 56 Twenty20 Internationals. He scored more than 28,000 international runs and was widely recognised for his consistency as a left-handed batter.
He retired from international cricket in 2015 after a career that included appearances in multiple World Cup campaigns. He was part of Sri Lanka’s team that won the 2014 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and captained the side during a significant period in its international cricket history.
Following his playing career, Sangakkara continued to contribute to the sport through coaching and administration. He has been associated with the Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals, serving as director of cricket and later returning as head coach ahead of the 2026 season.
