Watch: Unseen video of Harbhajan slapping Sreesanth; Lalit Modi shares clip
The clip was released by Lalit Modi in a chat with Michael Clarke on a podcast. Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth was infamously known as 'slapgate'
Former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi has released unseen video of Harbhajan Singh slapping S Sreesanth after a match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) (now, Punjab Kings).
The incident, known infamously as “slapgate”, which was one of the biggest controversies in the history of IPL, happened in 2008 in Mohali.
Also read: Online Gaming Bill: Indian cricketers set to lose Rs 200 crore
Now, Modi, in a chat with former Australian captain Michael Clarke on ‘Beyond23 Cricket Podcast’, has shared the video of the incident after 17 years.
What Modi said
“I hadn’t put it out for so long. We have 18 years behind us for this,” Modi said.
“Bhajji is a very dear friend of mine. I love him. It happened on the field, and I was there. It was Bhajji, and it was Sreesanth. 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 said.
Also read: Cheteshwar Pujara retires from all forms of cricket
In the footage shared by Modi, as the players of MI and KXIP shake hands after the match, Harbhajan is seen slapping Sreesanth. Later, as Sreesanth, who played for the Punjab franchise, tries to go towards the offspinner, but is stopped by his teammate and Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene. Harbhajan too is restrained by a security guy.
The video shows Sreesanth in tears and consoled by his teammates, including all-rounder Irfan Pathan.
Harbhajan’s apologies
Years later, Harbhajan has apologised to Sreesanth several times. Recently, Harbhajan said Sreesanth’s daughter refused to speak to him over ‘slapgate’.
“What hurt me even after many years was when I met his (Sreesanth) 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 that I can’t do anything,” Harbhajan told Indian offspinner R Ashwin on a podcast.