It's surprising that Arjuna is living in America while the T20 World Cup is being held in Sri Lanka.

Cricbuzz, a prominent cricket website, has published an article stating that Arjuna Ranatunga, who brought a World Cup to Sri Lanka, should be visible during a World Cup tournament in Sri Lanka, but he has disappeared from Sri Lanka and is reportedly residing in America. The note mentioned therein is as follows.

Arjuna Ranatunga and Imran Khan share several fascinating similarities. Both are World Cup-winning captains and national heroes, possessing strong personalities and a never-back-down leadership style, who completely transformed the traditional patterns of cricket in their respective countries. Both players, who consistently expressed their views directly, later entered politics. However, currently, both these World Cup heroes have become somewhat rejected figures in their own countries. The only difference is that Imran Khan is currently imprisoned, and Arjuna Ranatunga is facing legal uncertainty.

Amidst a T20 World Cup unfolding in his homeland, the silence of Arjuna Ranatunga, arguably the foremost citizen in Sri Lankan cricket, is striking. When asked about his whereabouts, the common answer from many is "We don't know." Sidath Wettimuny, a former teammate of Arjuna and one of Sri Lanka's greatest batsmen, states that he doesn't know why Arjuna isn't involved in the sport, or whether he is in the country or abroad.

Only a handful are coming forward to confirm the widespread rumor that he is currently residing in the United States. However, his brother Nishantha Ranatunga, commenting on this to Cricbuzz, confirmed that Arjuna is currently in America and is enjoying the love of his grandchildren. Furthermore, he did not hesitate to state that his elder brother, who briefly represented the interim committee of Sri Lanka Cricket in 2023, is currently not involved in cricket administration or with Sri Lanka Cricket.

Arjuna, who severely criticized the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) a few years ago, was never loyal to India. This is completely different from the friendly policy the current administration of Sri Lanka Cricket maintains with the Indian cricket board. However, India is not the reason for Arjuna's avoidance of publicity. It was widely reported that last December, an anti-corruption agency in Sri Lanka issued an arrest warrant for him in connection with financial fraud. A few days later, his brothers Dammika and Prasanna were also briefly arrested and released. However, no one is coming forward to comment on whether the warrant issued against Arjuna is still active.

Born into a family of politicians, Arjuna's father, Reggie Ranatunga, also served as a Member of Parliament, Governor, and Minister. Therefore, his entry into politics from cricket was natural. He spearheaded bringing cricket, which was largely limited to the elite, closer to the common people, but he could not achieve the immense success in politics that he had in his cricket career.

Just as India's victory in 1983 changed the global cricket landscape, his unwavering leadership was instrumental in Sri Lanka winning the 1996 World Cup. Nevertheless, even former captain Marvan Atapattu, who progressed with Arjuna's strong support even during periods in his early cricket career when he consistently failed to score runs, kindly declines to comment on Arjuna, saying "No, please (don't ask)."

However, one person who comes forward to comment on Arjuna is Thilanga Sumathipala, his strongest rival. The former cricket chairman states that Arjuna and his brother are facing problems with the authorities due to charges filed against them, and he must fight a legal battle against it. Mr. Sumathipala mentions that he would like to see Arjuna serve as an advisor to Sri Lanka Cricket, just like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, or Aravinda de Silva, because of the excellent leadership he displayed. However, he further states that Arjuna tried to get elected to the cricket board as an administrator several times but failed, and like Imran Khan, he faced many challenges as a politician.

Although they were never close friends, representing the traditional cricket rivalry between Ananda and Nalanda Colleges, Sumathipala says he organized Arjuna's farewell match. However, the similarities between Arjuna and Imran Khan end here. Unlike the Pakistani leader, who is imprisoned on corruption charges with no certainty of release, Arjuna Ranatunga is not a major problem for the current Sri Lankan government. Furthermore, since he is not a threat to Sri Lanka Cricket, which appreciates his contribution to the sport, or to any other political party, his current legal situation is not expected to carry the same political weight as Imran Khan's case.