After 18 years, Lalit Modi released the unseen 2008 IPL video showing Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth after the Mumbai-Punjab match.
The inaugural IPL season in 2008 witnessed one of its most controversial moments when Harbhajan Singh slapped Sreesanth after a clash between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab. At the time, details of the incident remained unclear as the video never appeared in the global broadcast.
Eighteen years later, previously unseen footage of the altercation has surfaced online. Lalit Modi, the league’s first chairman, shared the video on social media, revealing the exact sequence of events. Harbhajan, wearing the Mumbai jersey, is seen slapping Sreesanth during the post-match handshake.
“It happened absolutely. It was Bhajji, it was Sreesanth. The players are going, thanking each other, shaking hands. Sreesanth and Bhajji… Bhajji just looks at him and just gives him a backhander. I sat them both down, and I had to penalise Bhajji in the meeting. I did penalise him for 8 games,” Modi said the video shared by Michael Clarke.
#WATCH : One of the wildest chapters in IPL history resurfaces
Unseen footage of the infamous Harbhajan Singh & Sreesanth ‘Slapgate’ incident has emerged. A moment that shook the league back in 2008 and was never aired publicly until now.#IPL #Slapgate #HarbhajanSingh… pic.twitter.com/hZFGCOsPJO
— upuknews (@upuknews1) August 29, 2025
The incident was later addressed by the authorities, and Harbhajan faced an eight-match suspension.
“One thing I’d want to change in my life is that incident with Sreesanth. I want to remove that incident from my career. That is the incident I would change from my list. What transpired was wrong, and I shouldn’t have done what I did. I apologised 200 times. What I felt so bad was even years after that incident, I have been apologising every opportunity or stage I get. It was a mistake,” Harbhajan had said, while addressing the issue earlier.
READ ALSO | Cheteshwar Pujara Says He Will Consider Coaching or NCA Opportunities After Retirement
“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 is the 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,” he added.
Dafabet
- Maximum Cricket Cashback 10%
- India Super League Cashback
- Common wallet 100% deposit bonus up to ₹8,000 !
Last Updated on August 29, 2025
Senior Sports Copywriter
