Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has alleged that Ryanair staff threatened and discriminated against his family at an airport in Dublin, with his account triggering a discussion on social media.
The Rajasthan Royals head coach took to X on Wednesday evening to share his experience, describing the encounter with the airline's gate personnel as shocking. He also called it his first unpleasant experience in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. "Has anyone experienced discriminatory gate personnel @Ryanair in Dublin? I, with my family, just did and it was shocking," Sangakkara tweeted on Wednesday evening. Sangakkara's post drew reactions from social media users, including fellow Sri Lankan Sanjiva Weerawarana, who spoke about his own experiences of discrimination while living and travelling overseas. "Kumar, I have experienced discrimination in every part of the West. I lived there for 16 years, travelled back and forth for another 25 and now I'm done," the individual replied. Responding to Weerawarana, Sangakkara acknowledged the distress such encounters can cause. "It's quite jarring when you experience it," Sangakkara said. The exchange added to the discussion surrounding the former Sri Lankan skipper's allegations and the treatment of passengers by airline personnel. At the time of writing, Ryanair had not issued a response to Sangakkara's claims. Ryanair is an Irish ultra-low-cost airline headquartered in Swords, County Dublin. The incident has also brought attention to concerns about anti-Asian racism and xenophobia in Ireland, which can range from everyday prejudice and online abuse to physical assaults.
Sangakkara, regarded as one of Sri Lanka's greatest cricketers, retired from international cricket in 2015 after a distinguished career across formats. As Rajasthan Royals coach, Sangakkara ended the franchise's 17-year wait to reach another final during his first tenure. However, the Royals finished runners-up to Gujarat Titans. In 2026, Rajasthan bowed out in Qualifier 2, falling one win short of the final. Sangakkara's Test career began against South Africa in Galle on July 20, 2000, and concluded in Colombo after 134 matches. He accumulated 12,400 runs, including 38 centuries and 52 half-centuries. He finished one short of Australian great Donald Bradman's record of 12 double centuries. In ODIs, Sangakkara played 404 matches after making his debut in 2000, scoring 14,234 runs at an average of almost 42. His highest score was 169, while his tally included 25 centuries and 93 half-centuries. He brought his 50-over international career to an end after the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Sangakkara was part of Sri Lanka teams that finished runners-up at the 2007 and 2011 editions of the tournament.
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