Harbhajan-Sreesanth IPL 2008 Slapgate: Never-Seen-Before Video Emerges After 17 Years (WATCH)

Former chairman and commissioner of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Lalit Modi, has released the actual footage of Harbhajan Singh slapping S Sreesanth from the inaugural edition of the tournament. The slapegate incident in IPL 2008 became one of the most infamous controversies in the league's history.

Harbhajan, who was playing for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2008, sparked controversy after he slapped S Sreesanth after the match against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali. The incident came to light when Sreesanth was caught on camera crying, creating a media storm and leaving fans and players across the cricketing world in shock.

Harbhajan faced immediate disciplinary action and was handed a suspension for the remainder of the IPL season after the investigation led by Sudhir Nanavati. The infamous slapgate incident remained a defining controversy in the early years of the tournament.

Real footage of IPL 2008 Slapgate incident goes viral

Sudhir Nanavati, who led the investigation into the IPL 2008 slapgate incident, stated that he saw the real footage of Harbhajan Singh slapping S Sreesanth after the match between the Mumbai Indians and the Kings XI Punjab, but it was never released to the public until now.

17 years after one of the biggest controversies in the history of IPL, the real and never-seen-before footage of the incident was released by Lalit Modi, who is the founder of the league, which was aired on Michael Clarke's Beyond23 podcast. In a video, Harbhajan was clearly seen giving a backhand slap on Sreesanth's face, leaving the latter in a bit of shock while taking some time to realise what had happened to him.

Then, the former Indian pacer charged towards Harbhajan, who evoked the same reaction and almost ended up in a brawl. The two had to be separated by security guards, Irfan Pathan and Mahela Jayawardene, to prevent the situation from escalating further and avoid an on-field clash that could have brought greater disgrace to the tournament.

One of the wildest moments in IPL history, Unseen footage of the Bhajji–Sreesanth slapgate that never been aired#IPL twitter/E9Ux8bodOW

- Vishal (@Fanpointofviews) August 29, 2025

The investigation into IPL 2008 slapgate was launched by the BCCI after Sreesanth put out a series of tweets, stating that he didn't receive any support from the people despite knowing it was not his fault. Following the investigation, it was confirmed that Harbhajan had indeed slapped Sreesanth after the match, resulting in getting suspension of the Indian spinner for the remainder of the season.

After the infamous IPL 2008 Slapgate incident, Harbhajan Singh became one of the most polarizing figures in Indian Cricket, facing intense criticism from fans and experts alike.

How did Lalit Modi get the video?

As the BCCI and the IPL did not release the actual video of the IPL 2008 slapgate incident, Lalit Modi had preserved the footage from one of his personal security cameras at the stadium, which inadvertently captured the entire altercation.

“I'll tell you what happened. I will give you the video. I have kept it back. Bhajji is a very dear friend of mine. I love him. It happened on the field, and I was there. It was Bhajji, and it was Sreesanth. The game was over, and the cameras were shut off. Only one of my security cameras was on,” Modi told Clarke on the 'Beyond 23' Podcast.

“As the team finished playing, the players were 'high-fiving and shaking hands with each other. When it came to Sreesanth and Bhajji. Harbhajan just said to him, 'Come here', and gave him a backhander," he added.

The IPL 2008 slapgate incident created ripples in Indian cricket, sparking nationwide outrage, tarnishing the league's image, and leaving a lasting scar in the relationship between Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth, even though the two later reconciled publicly.

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