The infamous ‘slapgate’ incident from the Indian Premier League (IPL) history, involving Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth, has resurfaced with the release of previously unseen video footage. The incident, which occurred during the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008, saw Harbhajan Singh, then playing for Mumbai Indians, slap Sreesanth, playing for Kings XI Punjab, after a match. The video, released 17 years later by Lalit Modi, the former IPL commissioner, has sparked controversy and strong reactions.
The incident unfolded after a match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab, which Punjab won. As players were shaking hands, Harbhajan Singh slapped Sreesanth. While news reports and images of Sreesanth’s tearful reaction surfaced at the time, the video was never released to the public until now.
Lalit Modi revealed that the footage was captured by a security camera and was kept private for years. He shared the video with former Australian captain Michael Clarke, who released it on his podcast. This has led to a strong reaction from Sreesanth’s wife, Bhuvneshwari, who has expressed her anger on social media, criticizing Modi and Clarke for what she deems a tasteless act.
Bhuvneshwari’s Instagram post condemned Modi and Clarke, accusing them of exploiting the 2008 incident for publicity and views. She highlighted that both Sreesanth and Harbhajan have moved on, are now fathers, and bringing up the old wounds is cruel and inhumane. She went on to say that legal action should be taken against Clarke and Modi for releasing the video.
Despite the ‘slapgate’ incident, Harbhajan and Sreesanth continued to play cricket together for India and were part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team. They have also appeared together in cricket shows and advertisements.