"They might have a selfish motive behind it"- Harbhajan Singh destroys Lalit Modi over leaking video of IPL slap gate

Ankitjit Singh is a Sub-Editor at Khel Now, known for his in-depth knowledge of cricket.

Published at :September 1, 2025 at 4:42 PM

Modified at :September 1, 2025 at 4:43 PM

(Courtesy : Getty Images)

Lalit Modi released unseen footage of IPL slap-gate involving Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth.

The former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh lashed out at Lalit Modi for leaking the footage of his slap gate with S Sreesanth from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2008. He said that Modi had a selfish motive behind it and he shouldn’t have released it.

The IPL slap gate controversy came into the news once again after Lalit Modi released unseen footage of the incident. In the video, it was clearly visible that Harbhajan Singh slapped S Sreesanth during the post-match handshake ceremony of the game between the Mumbai Indians and the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings).

The incident back then was one of the biggest controversies of the league, and Harbhajan Singh had to face consequences for it. The former Indian spinner was banned for the remainder of the season.

While the controversy was long forgotten, Lalit Modi in an interaction with Michael Clarke on his podcast, released the video. Modi then received a lot of flak for releasing the video, and now Harbhajan Singh also lashed out at him.

The way the video has been leaked is wrong – Harbhajan Singh lashes out at Lalit Modi

Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth-Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth- — Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth (image source:Twitter)

Harbhajan Singh said that it was a selfish attempt to remind people of something that has been forgotten. He also admitted that he still feels bad about the incident. Speaking to Instant Bollywood, he said:

“The way the video has been leaked is wrong. It shouldn’t have happened. They might have a selfish motive behind it. Something that happened 18 years ago, people have forgotten, and they are reminding people about it.”

“I feel bad for whatever happened. We were playing, and everyone had things going on in their mind. Mistakes happened, and we do feel ashamed about it.”

Harbhajan Singh added that it was an unfortunate incident and that he made a mistake. He added:

“Yes, the video has gone viral. It was an unfortunate incident, and I have said on many occasions that I made a mistake. Humans make mistakes, and I did one too. I have requested Lord Ganesh to forgive me if I make a mistake again. Mistakes happen.”

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When did the IPL slap-gate incident happen?

The IPL slap-gate incident took place in 2008.

Who was involved in the IPL slap-gate incident?

Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth were involved in the IPL slap-gate incident.

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Ankitjit Singh

Ankitjit Singh is a dedicated sports journalist whose childhood dream was to play cricket—now, he serves the game through his work. With over three years of experience in reporting, writing, and editing, he brings deep insight to his coverage. A journalism graduate from Delhi University, Ankitjit’s passion for cricket took root during his college days and continues to drive his career.