WATCH- Video of Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth in IPL 2008 unveiled by Lalit Modi

One of the first and perhaps one of the biggest controversies in the Indian Premier League (IPL) happened in the 2008 edition when Sreesanth was seen crying after being slapped by Harbhajan Singh.

The incident had happened after the IPL 2008 match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). This incident came to be known as ‘slapgate,’ and for 17 years, there was no photo or video of Harbhajan slapping Sreesanth, only the video of the aftermath showing Sreesanth crying and being consoled by his Punjab teammates.

However, after 17 years, former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has unveiled the missing clip of Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth and the two almost coming to blows in a conversation with ex-Australia captain Michael Clarke on his YouTube channel.

Harbhajan Singh-Sreesanth slapgate video reveals what went down.

Apart from the fact that Harbhajan Singh had slapped Sreesanth, not much was known about what had truly happened for years. When the incident occurred, the show had switched to commercials. When the live stream came back, fans were shocked to see Sreesanth crying, which was unusual because both players were Indian teammates.

Sreesanth and Harbhajan eventually made up and became close. However, the footage that once rocked the tournament eventually came to light 17 years later when it was unveiled by former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi on Michael Clarke's Beyond23 podcast.

"I'll tell you what happened. I will give you the video. I have kept it back. 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 told Clarke on his show.

An angry Harbhajan Singh gave Sreesanth a hard backhand slap during the post-match handshakes. The older spinner responded in kind when Sreesanth realized what had happened and charged at Harbhajan. Before Irfan Pathan and Mahela Jayawardene stepped in and dragged Sreesanth out, the argument nearly descended into a full-fledged brawl.

Pathan then made an effort to soothe Harbhajan as well, but the seasoned off-spinner was not in the mood to listen and gestured past the stadium as though he were being challenged to carry on the altercation outdoors.

Here is the video:

One of the wildest moments in IPL history, Unseen footage of the Bhajji–Sreesanth slapgate that never been aired#IPLpic.twitter.com/E9Ux8bodOW

— Vishal (@Fanpointofviews) August 29, 2025

The first controversy in the history of the IPL was this unpleasant match. It started when Sreesanth casually said "hard luck" while grinning at MI captain Harbhajan following Kings XI Punjab's 66-run triumph. The MI camp had also been annoyed by his celebrations after dismissing Shaun Pollock and his conversation with Robin Uthappa during Mumbai's chase. The picture of a crying Sreesanth is still one of the most memorable scenes in IPL history, even if Harbhajan later expressed regret in the locker room.

Shaun Pollock took over as captain of the Mumbai Indians, after Harbhajan was given a heavy fine and suspended for the rest of the 2008 IPL season

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