WATCH: Harbhajan Singh lashes out at Lalit Modi after re-emergence of slapgate IPL video

A long-buried controversy from the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been thrust back into the public eye after a video of the infamous ‘slapgate’ incident was made public by former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi.

For nearly two decades, the full footage of the altercation between Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth had never been seen by the public, adding an air of mystique and speculation to the event that shocked the cricketing world. The recent release of the video, which captures the exact moment of the incident, has stirred up a fresh wave of commentary and has prompted a strong reaction from Harbhajan. The move has reignited a discussion about one of the IPL’s darkest chapters and the motivations behind its sudden re-emergence.

The controversy dates back to the IPL 2008 season, following a match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab. In the aftermath of the game, television cameras showed a tearful Sreesanth being consoled by his teammates. The full extent of what happened on the field, however, remained a mystery to the public. That changed recently when Modi, on a podcast with former Australian captain Michael Clarke, unveiled the previously unseen footage. The video captured the moment Harbhajan, Mumbai’s stand-in captain at the time, delivered a back-handed slap to Sreesanth during the post-match handshakes. The footage shows a heated exchange and a brawl-like situation as Sreesanth charged towards Harbhajan before other players intervened to separate the two.

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Harbhajan’s scathing response to Lalit Modi regarding the viral slapgate video

The public release of the video, years after the players had reconciled, drew a swift and emotional response from Harbhajan. Speaking to a media outlet, he did not hold back, expressing his displeasure at the decision to leak the clip. He argued that the video’s resurfacing was a wrong and unnecessary move that had a ‘selfish motive’ behind it, forcing people to relive an incident that happened 18 years ago and had been largely forgotten.

“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 was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. He went on to convey his deep sense of shame and regret over the matter, saying, “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,”

The former spinner, who has apologized on multiple occasions over the years, including recently on a podcast hosted by Ravichandran Ashwin, again acknowledged his mistake. He stated, “Humans make mistakes, and I did one too. I have requested Lord Ganesh to forgive me if I make a mistake again. Mistakes happen,” For his actions in 2008, the BCCI and IPL committee had banned Harbhajan for 11 matches and forfeited his match fees.