Watch: Lalit Modi reveals footage of Harbhajan Singh punching Sreesanth during the infamous slapgate incident in IPL 2008

In the collective memory of Indian cricket fans, few off-field scandals have endured as long as "slapgate" from the 2008 IPL. The fight between Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth has been spoken in whispers, repeatedly memed, and repeated in a dozen different ways, but it has never been witnessed.

Advertisment

The most notorious IPL video has finally been released after 17 long years. Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has released the video of Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth during an IPL 2008 match between the Mumbai Indians and the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings).

No one quite understood what had transpired over the years, except for the fact that Harbhajan had slapped Sreesanth. When the incident happened, the coverage had shifted to commercials, and the cricket community was shocked to see Sreesanth crying when live streaming resumed. These were Indian teammates from the same squad.

Modi revealed the video clip that was first left out of the global broadcast in an interview with former Australian captain Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.

Advertisment

“It happened absolutely. It was Bhajji, it was Sreesanth. The players are going, thanking each other, shaking hands. Sreesanth and Bhajji… Bhajji just looks at him and just gives him a backhander," Modi said the video shared by Michael Clarke.

"One of my security cameras was on because I was walking onto the field, and it caught the moment. As players were exchanging handshakes, Bhajji just looked at Sreesanth, said something, and gave him a backhander. That’s what the footage shows," Modi added, revealing that one of his own camerapersons captured what the television cameras missed and kept the video "back for 18 years."

"I haven’t put it out for so long. But yes, it happened,” Modi added. After the incident, Sreesanth was distraught despite his teammates' attempts to console him. The footage showed that Harbhajan had come to make amends with Sreesanth, but the Punjab pacer, who was then a member of the Kings XI, was not having any of it.

Advertisment

Harbhajan has apologised to Sreesanth on several occasions, even in public, after that incident.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!