Sreesanth's daughter refuses to talk to Harbhajan Singh over the IPL slapgate incident

Former Indian spinner says the incident is the biggest regret of his life

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Jai Rai, Assistant Editor
2 MIN READ
Kings XI Punjab pacer S Sreesanth is in tears after being slapped by Mumbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh during the IPL T-20 match in Mohali
Kings XI Punjab pacer S Sreesanth is in tears after being slapped by Mumbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh during the IPL T-20 match in Mohali
PTI

Dubai: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh said he was deeply hurt when former teammate S Sreesanth's daughter refused to talk to him due to the spat which ended up in a slap to the pacer.

“What hurt me even after many years was when I met his daughter and I was talking to her with a lot of love and she said, ‘I don’t want to talk to you. You hit my father.'" Harbhajan told Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel.

"My heart was shattered and I was on the verge of tears. I was asking myself what is the impression I’ve left on her? She must be thinking of me in a poor light, right? She sees me as the guy who hit her father. I felt so bad. I still apologise to his daughter that I can’t do anything. I keep telling her, ‘but if there’s anything I can do to make you feel better and make you think I’m not that kind of person, please tell me’. I wish when she grows up, she doesn’t see me in the same light. And think her uncle will always be with her and extend any kind of support he can. That’s why I want to remove that chapter,” Harbhajan added.

Much-talked incident

The incident took place during the 2008 edition of the IPL when Harbhajan, playing for Mumbai Indians slapped Kings XI Punjab’s Sreesanth at the end of the match. While the BCCI responded by suspending Harbhajan for the remaining fixtures, it still remains one of the much-talked about incidents in the IPL.

Replying to a question about one thing that he would want to change in his life, Harbhajan said, "One thing I’d want to change in my life is that incident with Sreesanth. I want to remove that incident from my career. That is the incident I would change from my list. What transpired was wrong and I shouldn’t have done what I d id. I apologised 200 times. What I felt so bad was even years after that incident, I have been apologising every opportunity or stage I get. It was a mistake. We all make mistakes and we hope and try to never repeat such mistakes. He was my teammate and we were playing together. Yes, in that game we were opponents. But it shouldn’t have gone to that level where we behave in such a manner. So yeah, that was my fault and the only fault of his was that he provoked me, but that’s okay actually. However, what I did was not okay. I said, ‘Sorry’.”

Jai Rai
Jai RaiAssistant Editor
Jai is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience across India and the UAE, specialising in sports reporting. Throughout his distinguished career, he has had the privilege of covering some of the biggest names and events in sports, including cricket, tennis, Formula 1 and golf. A former first-division cricket league captain himself, he brings not only a deep understanding of the game but also a cricketer's discipline to his work. His unique blend of athletic insight and journalistic expertise gives him a wide-ranging perspective that enriches his storytelling, making his coverage both detailed and engaging. Driven by an unrelenting passion for sports, he continues to craft compelling narratives that resonate with readers. As the day winds down for most, he begins his work, ensuring that the most captivating stories make it to the print edition in time for readers to receive them bright and early the next morning.
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