The incident took place in 2008.
The footage of the infamous slapgate scandal that transpired in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was kept under lock for 17 years. After a match in 2008 between Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and Mumbai Indians in Mohali, Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth were involved in a heated incident. At that time, the live streaming was cut short for a few seconds. When it came back on, Sreesanth crying on the screen sent shockwaves through the cricket fraternity. As time passed, the two Indian players went on to share camaraderie again. But former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi finally shared the footage on Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 Cricket Podcast. He also explained what transpired between the two players.
After being tucked away for 17 years, the slapgate scandal footage saw the light of day again.
“I will give you the video. I have kept it back. The game was over, and the cameras were shut off. Only one of my security cameras was on. As the team finished playing, the players were high-fiving and shaking hands with each other. When it came to Sreesanth and Bhajji. Harbhajan just said to him, ‘Come here’, and gave him a backhander,” Modi told Clarke on his show.
After KXIP handed a crushing 66-run defeat to MI, emotions were high during the customary handshake between the two teams. Harbhajan was visibly agitated when Sreesanth said, “Hard luck,” leading to a slap. The pacer, who was shaken at first, was then animated at the spinner before he was stopped by teammates Irfan Pathan and Mahela Jayawardene.
Watch the full video and podcast here:
The incident was more than a heated debate. It was a build-up of on-field aggression during the match. Sreesanth had dismissed Shaun Pollock and exchanged words with Robin Uthappa during MI’s poor chase.
The then-skipper of Punjab, Yuvraj Singh, who is also a close friend of Harbhajan, quoted the incident as “ugly and unacceptable.”
After almost two decades, the incident still sends shivers down the spine and brings up raw emotions from players and fans across the globe.
Though Bhajji has apologised multiple times, the slapgate incident goes down as one of the most unforgettable visuals in cricket. The spinner was banned by the BCCI for the rest of the season.
Recently, Harbhajan spoke about the same incident on Ravichandran Ashwin’s podcast. The 45-year-old mentioned how regretful he feels and wishes it as one of the things he’d like to change in his life.
“What transpired was wrong, and I shouldn’t have done what I did. I apologised 200 times. What hurt me even after many years was when I met his daughter, and I was talking to her with a lot of love, and she said, ‘I don’t want to talk to you. You hit my father.’ My heart was shattered, and I was on the verge of tears. I was asking myself what impression I’ve left on her. She must be thinking of me in a poor light, right? She sees me as the guy who hit her father. I felt so bad. I still apologise to his daughter that I can’t do anything. I keep telling her, ‘But if there’s anything I can do to make you feel better and make you think I’m not that kind of person, please tell me. ‘I wish when she grows up, she doesn’t see me in the same light. And think her uncle will always be with her and extend any kind of support he can,” Bhajji said.
