The 2008 IPL slap-gate incident has once again come under the spotlight. Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman, shared an unseen video of Harbhajan Singh slapping S Sreesanth during a podcast with former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke.
The clip reignited memories of one of IPL’s most controversial moments when Harbhajan, playing for Mumbai Indians, slapped Kings XI Punjab bowler Sreesanth. At the time, the incident led to an 11-match suspension for Harbhajan and shocked the cricketing world.
Lalit Modi Reveals the Video
During his appearance on the Beyond23 podcast with Clarke, Modi explained how his personal security camera captured the unseen footage after broadcasters had switched theirs off.
“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-fiv5’ing’ 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.
The clip shows Harbhajan slapping Sreesanth during the post-match handshakes. Both players had reconciled years ago, with Harbhajan publicly apologising several times. The two have even worked together in commentary and advertisements.
Bhuvneshwari Calls It “Disgusting and Inhuman”
Sreesanth’s wife, Bhuvneshwari, strongly reacted to the resurfacing of the video. She slammed both Modi and Clarke for dragging up an 18-year-old controversy for publicity.
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“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,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Families Are Forced to Relive Trauma”
Bhuvneshwari said that the decision to share the video has hurt her family deeply. She added that her husband has worked hard to rebuild his life with dignity and should not be forced to face old pain again.
“@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. 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,” she wrote.
“Fear God Before Hurting Families”
She ended her statement with a strong message for Modi and Clarke.
“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,” she added.
Both Harbhajan and Sreesanth had long moved past the 2008 incident and even appeared together in public events. But the resurfacing of the video has reopened wounds. For the families, the clip is not just about cricket—it is about personal pain that should have remained in the past.
