Seventeen years after the infamous slapgate incident during the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League, the never-before-seen video of Harbhajan Singh slapping S Sreesanth has finally been made public. The footage was released by former IPL chairman Lalit Modi during a podcast with ex-Australian captain Michael Clarke.
The altercation took place after the Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab game in Mohali in 2008, when Harbhajan, then MI captain, struck Sreesanth during the post-match handshake. The incident left the pacer in tears and sparked a major controversy in Indian cricket.
Speaking on the Beyond 23 Cricket podcast, Lalit Modi confirmed, “It happened absolutely. The game was over, players were shaking hands, and Bhajji just looked at Sreesanth and gave him a back hand slap. I sat them both down and penalised Bhajji for 8 games. I found it to be offensive.”
One of the wildest moments in IPL history, Unseen footage of the Bhajji–Sreesanth slapgate that never been aired#IPL pic.twitter.com/E9Ux8bodOW
— Vishal (@Fanpointofviews) August 29, 2025
The video has now gone viral, reigniting memories of one of IPL’s most controversial moments. Harbhajan was banned for the rest of the 2008 season following the incident.
Over the years, both players have addressed the episode. Harbhajan has publicly apologised multiple times, while Sreesanth recently shared that although the matter is long buried, the impact lingered—recalling that even his daughter once refused to greet Harbhajan during a later meeting.
