Way back in 2008, The Indian Premier League (IPL) was in its infancy as the very first edition was being held. This was a new innovation as no T20 league had existed. Excitement was in the air. Amidst all of this, controversy did occur. A heated confrontation took place between Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth that resulted in a slap.
17 years later, the issue has resurfaced as a video has been released.
Few off-field dramas have lived rent-free in the collective memory of Indian cricket fans quite like "slapgate" from IPL 2008. Harbhajan Singh's altercation with Sreesanth has been whispered about, memed endlessly, and retold in a dozen versions - but until now, never actually seen.
The IPL faced its first on-field controversy with allegations that Harbhajan Singh hit Sreesanth, his India team-mate and IPL rival, after the match between the Kings XI Punjab and the Mumbai Indians in Mohali. While Yuvraj Singh, Sreesanth's captain, said Harbhajan had apologised after the incident, it remained to be seen how the IPL will handle it as a disciplinary issue.
Sreesanth, who took two wickets for Punjab, was spotted in tears after the match - which his side won - and later confirmed the incident to ESPNCricinfo.
Sources close to him said that after the match, a smiling Sreesanth walked up to Harbhajan - the captain of the losing Mumbai Indians - and said "Hard luck." "That was when Harbhajan lost his cool and hit Sreesanth under the eye," said sources close to the fast bowler.
Apparently, there was a verbal exchange earlier between Sreesanth and Robin Uthappa, who was leading Mumbai's chase and the fast bowler's celebrations after dismissing Shaun Pollock didn't go down well in the rival dugout, either. However, Sreesanth, who admitted that he was "shocked" by the incident, denied that words were exchanged between the players on the field.
Harbhajan refused to answer questions on the incident at the post-match press conference. "Can we have questions on just cricket," he said in response to questions relating to the incident. His opposing captain, however, was clear in his view. "This is really an ugly incident," Yuvraj said, "this is totally unacceptable." He added, though, that Harbhajan had visited the dressing-room after the match and apologised to Sreesanth.
"At the end of the day, players shake hands. But today we saw more that from Harbhajan and Sreesanth," said Tom Moody, the Punjab coach. "The positive thing is that Harbhajan had a long chat with Sreesanth. But I am not sure what ramifications this incident will have." It has been learnt that Sreesanth complained about the incident to officials of the Mohali franchise, including co-owners, Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia.
However, IS Bindra, the president of the Punjab Cricket Association, denied an official complaint had been lodged. "Some media people have asked me about this incident. No official complaint has reached me yet. I believe what happens on the field should be sorted out by the players on the field itself," Bindra said. Later, Sreesanth told reporters at the stadium that "nothing serious happened" and that he and Harbhajan were "still part of the national team".
"It looks like a serious matter the way it's being shown on television channels but I can't say anything now. In any tournament it should not happen, it's unfortunate what happened yesterday," Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, told PTI. "The incident in itself is sketchy. There is no clear evidence at this moment, there are different versions about what may have happened. But at the end of the day we have to take cognizance of the fact that happened on the field."
"[So] we are waiting for the match referee and umpire's report only after which our committee will take a decision. The tournament is being played under the ICC guidelines, besides there are also tournament guidelines for the players."
On-field relations between Harbhajan and Sreesanth appeared strained during the India-South Africa Test series as well. Sreesanth had dropped Hashim Amla off Harbhajan during the Chennai Test to which Harbhajan reacted with displeasure after which he was seen motioning towards Sreesanth after making a diving save at point.
For 17 years, it was believed that there was no video evidence for the infamous ‘slapgate’ but all that changed on 29 August (Friday) as former IPL Chairman, Lalit Modi, for the first time ever, aired the video of the infamous incident.
Things changed this week when a video clip surfaced online, courtesy of Michael Clarke's podcast with Lalit Modi, showing the infamous moment in all its raw awkwardness. Grainy but unmistakable, the footage captures Harbhajan's flash of temper, Sreesanth's stunned reaction and team-mates trying to calm things down.
What it doesn't show is what really happened. Was Sreesanth provoking Harbhajan? Did the punishment - a five-ODI ban - fit the deed back then? Should the footage have remained in the vault forever?
Both players have, in reality, long moved on. Harbhajan has spoken about regrets, Sreesanth has often laughed it off in interviews and the two have even been spotted joking together on TV shows. The video turns folklore into history with a 17-year-old story suddenly feeling brand new.
If nothing else, the clip is a reminder that in cricket, just as in life, the most unforgettable moments aren't always the sixes and the hat-tricks but the unscripted, messy human ones that resurface years later to make everyone go, "Wait, did that really happen?"
Former IPL commentator, Harsha Bhogle, has commented on the recent release of previously unseen footage from the infamous 2008 "Slapgate" incident involving Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth. In a revealing tweet, Bhogle reflected on the video's 17-year-long absence from the public eye. He stated, "Interesting that the Harbhajan-Sreesanth video has found its way out after 17 years. Very few of us had seen it and we had given our word that it would stay out of the public domain because the IPL was in its first year and it wouldn't have been the best bit of news for it."
Bhogle’s comments highlights the sensitive nature of the footage that captured the moment where Harbhajan Singh is seen slapping Sreesanth following a tense match moment. The incident occurred during the inaugural IPL season when the league was still establishing its reputation both in India and and globally.
According to Bhogle, the incident, known as "slapgate," had remained hidden partly due to an unofficial understanding among those close to the event to protect the young league from early negative publicity. The release of the video now re-opens a chapter that many believed had been closed for good.
Modi revealed that the moment was never captured by broadcast cameras, which had been switched off at the end of play. Instead, it was recorded by one of his personal security cameras. "I had kept that video. The game was over, and the cameras had shut off. One of my security cameras was on because I was walking in the field."
"It was caught as the teams finished playing. The players were going thanking each other and shaking hands. One team was going one way, the other team was going the opposite way, and then it came down to Sreesanth and Bhajji. Bhajji just looks at him, said something, and gave him a backhander. I hadn’t put it out for so long - it’s been 18 years now."
Though the video clearly proved that Harbhajan was guilty of slapping Sreesanth, the former fast bowler’s wife, Bhuvneshwari Sreesanth, took to Instagram to lambast Modi and Clarke for causing pain and hurt to their family by unnecessarily bringing back an incident that was long buried.
"@sreesanthnair36 has rebuilt his life with dignity and grace after every hardship he faced. As his wife, and as the mother of his children, it is deeply painful for our family to see this resurface after 18 long years," she wrote on Instagram.
"Families are being forced to relive trauma that was buried decades ago only so you can chase views. This doesn’t just hurt the players, it scars their innocent children who now have to face questions and shame for no fault of theirs."
Bhuvneshwari further went on to state that both Clarke and Modi need to be sued for their 'inhumane' act of digging up something buried, very well knowing that it would cause deep hurt to the Sreesanth family.
"You should be sued for doing something so cheap and inhumane. Sreesanth is a man of strength and character, and no video can take that dignity away from him. Fear God before you hurt families and innocent children for your own gain. @lalitkmodi @michaelclarkeofficial," she wrote.
Bhuvneshwari further added: "Shame on you @lalitkmodi and @michaelclarkeofficial. You people are not even human to drag up something from 2008 just for your own cheap publicity and views. Both @sreesanthnair36 and Harbhajan have long moved on, they are fathers now with school-going children, and yet you try to throw them back into an old wound. Absolutely disgusting, heartless, and inhuman."
In a recent chat with Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan had termed the Sreesanth incident as one of life’s biggest regrets.
The incident led to an eight-match ban for the off-spinner and Modi states why the heavy suspension was given to Harbhajan. "I sat them both down afterwards and had to penalise Bhajji in the meeting. He received an eight-match suspension, although some people were calling for a lifetime suspension. It was a new league, lots of passion, but I found it offensive. It wasn’t just about Bhajji or Sreesanth; we needed to set an example, we needed to set boundaries."
Recently, Harbhajan had expressed his regret about the incident on R Ashwin’s YouTube channel, saying: "One thing I'd want to change in my life is that incident with Sreesanth. I want to remove that incident from my career. What transpired was wrong, and I shouldn't have done what I did. I apologised 200 times. What I felt so bad about was that even years after that incident, I have been apologising every opportunity or stage I get. It was a mistake."
In 2008, Harbhajan Singh shocked fans by slapping Sreesanth during a post-match handshake after Mumbai Indians lost to Kings XI Punjab, forever etching the “slapgate” into IPL folklore. Reports suggest Harbhajan was frustrated after Mumbai’s poor start as captain and was provoked by Sreesanth’s aggressive on-field send-offs, which boiled over into the infamous backhand slap.
The BCCI banned Harbhajan for 11 IPL matches and 5 ODIs, warning him of a possible lifetime ban for repeat offenses, marking one of the harshest penalties in IPL history. Harsha Bhogle revealed the footage was kept hidden in 2008 to safeguard IPL’s reputation during its inaugural year, proving how far the league went to protect its brand.
The slapgate came the same year Harbhajan was embroiled in the Monkeygate scandal with Andrew Symonds, amplifying his reputation as cricket’s most controversial figure of that era.
Despite the glitz of the IPL’s debut season, the Harbhajan Singh vs Sreesanth slap controversy remains its darkest chapter, still fueling debates, viral searches, and fan curiosity 18 years later.
I don't see the point in the release. This whole thing was news to me. I hadn't even heard about it before. Sport is always filled with controversy. As such, it wouldn't be too damaging if it had been made public at the time. The IPL is now a powerhouse with no end in sight. As long as it stays "clean" nothing damaging will happen to it.
I partially agree with Sreesanth's wife. Everyone has clearly moved on. There was no point in releasing the video. I do disagree that the two should be sued. There's no need to bring this to court. What could be brought forward? To me, it would get dismissed as quickly as one can name all the winners of the IPL.