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One of Indian cricket’s most controversial incidents, the infamous 2008 IPL `slapgate` involving Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth, resurfaced after nearly two decades, reigniting debates and emotions long buried. The controversy flared up after former IPL chairman Lalit Modi leaked an unseen video of the altercation on social media, drawing sharp criticism from both players and their families.
Modi, appearing on former Australian captain Michael Clarke’s podcast Beyond 23, spoke at length about the early years of the IPL, including the much-publicised Harbhajan-Sreesanth incident. While the incident itself has been widely known, with Harbhajan slapping Sreesanth following a match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), the video footage had never been made public until now.
Lalit Modi released an unseen video of Bhajji–Sreesanth slapgate. pic.twitter.com/nH5vhpLyAe
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 29, 2025
The sudden release of the footage has sparked outrage. Sreesanth’s wife was quick to condemn him, calling the move `heartless` and `inhuman` and accusing him of raking up a long-settled issue for personal gain.
Sreesanth`s wife`s Instagram story
Harbhajan, too, did not mince words in his reaction, slamming Modi for his `selfish motives` behind resurfacing an 18-year-old controversy that the cricketing world had moved past.
“The way the video has been leaked, it`s wrong. It shouldn`t have happened. They might have a selfish motive behind it. Something that happened 18 years ago, people have forgotten, and they are reminding people about it,” Harbhajan told Instant Bollywood in a statement.
Harbhajan reiterated his remorse over the incident, a sentiment he has expressed on numerous occasions over the years. The former India off-spinner said he continues to regret his actions and has already apologised to Sreesanth multiple times. Both players have since reconciled, with Harbhajan often acknowledging his mistake publicly.
“I feel bad for whatever happened. We were playing, and everyone had things going on in their mind. Mistakes happened, and we do feel ashamed about it,” he said. “Yes, the video has gone viral. It was an unfortunate incident, and I have said on many occasions that I made a mistake. Humans make mistakes, and I did one too. I have requested Lord Ganesh to forgive me if I make a mistake again. Mistakes happen.”
Following the incident in 2008, Harbhajan was handed an 11-match suspension by the IPL’s disciplinary committee, marking one of the first major disciplinary actions in the tournament`s history.
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