Harbhajan Singh slams Lalit Modi over leaked 'slapgate' video

Dubai: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has strongly criticised ex-IPL chairman Lalit Modi for releasing previously unseen footage of the infamous 2008 "slapgate" incident involving pacer Sreesanth.

“The way the video has been leaked is wrong. It shouldn’t have happened. They might have selfish motives behind it. Something that happened 18 years ago was long forgotten, and now it’s being brought back unnecessarily,” he told Instant Bollywood.

The video, recently shared by Modi during a podcast with former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke, reignited controversy by showing Harbhajan striking Sreesanth with the back of his hand following a match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in Mohali.

The incident, which occurred during the inaugural IPL season, had led to Harbhajan being banned for the remainder of the tournament. At the time, full video evidence was unavailable, but the newly surfaced clip has once again brought the controversy into the spotlight. Reacting to the footage, Sreesanth’s wife, Bhuvneshwari, also criticised Modi for releasing it.

Harbhajan expressed disappointment over the resurfacing of the video, suggesting it was shared with questionable intent.

Reflecting on the incident, Harbhajan reiterated his regret and took responsibility for his actions. “I feel bad for whatever happened. It was a moment of anger, and mistakes were made. I’ve expressed my remorse many times. It was unfortunate, and I do feel ashamed about it. Humans make mistakes—I did too. I’ve prayed for forgiveness and hope to never repeat such behavior.”