Harbhajan Singh slammed former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi for making public the old “slapgate” video from 2008 that involved him and Sreesanth.
The resurfaced clip, shown during Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 Cricket podcast, reignited a controversy Harbhajan thought was long buried.
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The ex-India spinner said he couldn’t understand why anyone would share such a video after nearly 17 years and even joked that perhaps Modi was “under the influence of alcohol” when he decided to do it.
Harbhajan Singh reacts strongly to the Sreesanth slapgate video resurfacing
The viral video showing Harbhajan slapping Sreesanth during the first IPL season, after a match between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings, once again made headlines after Lalit Modi talked about it publicly.
Harbhajan expressed his frustration over the incident being brought up again, saying the matter was closed years ago.
The veteran spinner felt the video’s release served no purpose other than stirring unnecessary drama, especially when both he and Sreesanth had moved on in life.
“Honestly, I didn’t understand why there was a need to make it public. I really don’t understand the motive behind that. I feel it would have been better if it hadn’t come out because there was no need for it. I don’t know what he was thinking when he released the video—maybe he was under the influence of alcohol or just messing around. If I were in their place, I wouldn’t have let any such video come out like that,” Harbhajan said as quoted by The Indian Express.
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Speaking further, Harbhajan admitted once again that what happened back in 2008 was wrong and that he had already apologised for it. He explained that emotions were high at the time, but it was a moment he deeply regretted.
“Everyone thinks differently. What happened was wrong, and I have already apologised for it. What happened between me and Sreesanth at that time was not right. As a sportsman, I don’t think I should have done that. People learn from their mistakes, and if I had enough understanding back then, I wouldn’t have done it,” he added.
Even though it’s been almost two decades since that IPL moment, the resurfacing of the video brought back old memories for fans. Many were shocked to see the footage, which had remained private all this time.
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