NEW DELHI: The Harbhajan Singh–Sreesanth altercation remains one of the darkest and most debated episodes in Indian Premier League (IPL) history. Nearly 18 years later, the infamous “slap-gate” controversy has resurfaced after former IPL chairman Lalit Modi revealed he possesses unseen footage of the incident, sparking questions about why the video never saw the light of day.The flashpoint occurred during the inaugural IPL season in 2008, when Mumbai Indians’ stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh slapped Kings XI Punjab pacer Sreesanth after a match in Mohali. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Television cameras later captured Sreesanth crying uncontrollably, an image that dominated headlines and cast a shadow over the fledgling league. Harbhajan was banned for 11 matches and lost his match fees, while the BCCI disciplinary committee held him guilty of misconduct.Modi, speaking on Michael Clarke‘s Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, claimed one of his security cameras caught the exact moment. “As players were exchanging handshakes, Bhajji just looked at Sreesanth, said something, and gave him a backhander. That’s what the footage shows. I’ve had it for 18 years,” he said, adding that the clip was never made public.Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle has now explained why. “Interesting that the Harbhajan-Sreesanth video has found its way out after 17 years. Very few of us had seen it and we had given our word that it would stay out of the public domain because the IPL was in its first year and it wouldn’t have been the best bit of news for it,” Bhogle posted on X.
His remarks underline how the league, in its infancy, chose to protect its image over exposing a damaging scandal in full detail.While Harbhajan and Sreesanth have long reconciled and transitioned into commentary roles, the revival of the episode has drawn fresh criticism. Sreesanth’s wife strongly condemned Modi and Clarke, accusing them of “dragging up old wounds” for publicity.With Bhogle’s revelation, fans finally understand why the infamous video was buried for nearly two decades — to shield the IPL’s reputation in its formative years.
