The long-hidden video of the 2008 ‘slapgate’ incident in the Indian Premier League (IPL), involving Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth, has emerged after 17 years, stirring a fresh wave of controversy. The video, released by Lalit Modi, the former IPL commissioner, shows the moment when Harbhajan Singh slapped Sreesanth after a match during the inaugural IPL season. The incident, which took place after a match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), has been a subject of discussion for years, but the video remained unseen until now.
The incident occurred after Punjab won the match against Mumbai. As the players were shaking hands, Harbhajan Singh, representing Mumbai, slapped Sreesanth. While reports and images of Sreesanth’s emotional reaction circulated at the time, the video footage remained private.
Lalit Modi, who played a key role in establishing the IPL, revealed that a security camera captured the footage, which he kept secure for years. He shared it with former Australian captain Michael Clarke, who then released it on his podcast. This action has ignited anger from Sreesanth’s wife, Bhuvneshwari, who has publicly criticized Modi and Clarke for their actions.
Bhuvneshwari voiced her anger on social media, accusing Modi and Clarke of being insensitive and exploiting the past incident for personal gain and viewership. She emphasized that both Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh have moved on, and are now fathers. She described the act as cruel and inhumane, and further suggested that legal action should be considered against Clarke and Modi.
Even after the incident, Harbhajan and Sreesanth continued to play together for the Indian cricket team. They were both members of the 2011 World Cup-winning squad and have appeared together in various cricket-related shows and advertisements since.