Nearly two decades after the infamous “slapgate” incident triggered a major controversy in the cricketing world, former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi has unveiled raw video footage of the event for the first time. The controversial episode involved former Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth.
The video clearly shows Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth.
This footage, which had remained unreleased since the incident took place during the inaugural 2008 edition of the cash-rich tournament, was revealed by Modi during an interview with former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke on a show titled Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.
“The game was over, cameras were shut off. One of my security cameras was on,” Modi told Clarke in the video.
“Bhajji just gives him a back-hander,” he said.
“I hadn’t put it out for so long. We have 18 years behind us for this,” he was quoted as saying in the video.
The release of the footage comes months after Harbhajan Singh — one of India’s most iconic spinners and a World Cup hero — publicly apologised to Sreesanth for the incident.
The incident dates back to a match between the Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in 2008.
Following the controversy, Singh, who was captaining the Mumbai Indians at the time, was banned from the remainder of the tournament that year.
Apologising for the incident on X, Singh said: “This wasn’t right bhai. It was my mistake. Shouldn’t hv done this. But Galti hui Insaan hu Bhagwaan nahi.”
Both Singh and Sreesanth were part of the Indian national team during several landmark moments, including the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ICC World Cup triumph.
