The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the world’s largest cricket leagues. But the bigger the event, the higher the chances of unexpected incidents, and the IPL has had its fair share of controversies. One such episode has resurfaced recently, as former IPL founder and chairman Lalit Modi released video of the infamous clash between Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth. The clip brings back memories of the shocking 2008 incident, where Harbhajan slapped Sreesanth during a match. It was a moment that later went down in history as the “Slapgate” scandal. This resurfacing of old footage has once again reminded fans of one of the most talked-about IPL controversies of all time.
Today, we will talk about the Lalit Modi Released Video, what exactly happened in the Harbhajan vs Sreesanth slapgate, and what Lalit Modi said about it. We will also see if the decision of Lalit Modi to make this video public, a good decision or a bad one. A lot of things are ahead in this article. So let’s begin.
Lalit Modi Released Video of Harbhajan Singh vs S Sreesanth Slapgate
The famous slap in my podcast with @MClarke23 on #beyond23 – part 3 of my podcast. I love @harbhajan_singh – but after 17 years it was time to reveal it. Lots and lots more to reveal but that will now only be in the movie that’s in the works supervised by @SnehaRajani on my… pic.twitter.com/EhPaIRAZ0F
— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) August 29, 2025
The founder and the former chairman of the IPL, Lalit Modi, has shared a video of Harbhajan Singh vs S Sreesanth’s slapgate incident. In a cricket podcast named ‘Beyond23’ hosted by the former Australian World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke, Lalit Modi shared the raw, unseen footage and talked about what exactly happened. A video released by Lalit Modi had not been in the public domain before Clarke’s podcast.
The incident between Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth happened during a league stage game between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) (now known as Punjab Kings) in IPL 2008. It was the 10th match of the IPL 2008, at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali. MI’s Harbhajan Singh slapped KXIP’s pacer Sreesanth after the match got over. There was no video footage available of that incident publicly. But now, almost more than 18 years later, Lalit Modi release video of that infamous incident. Modi said all the official broadcasters’ cameras were switched off, but one of his (Lalit Modi) security cameras was on, which captured the whole incident.
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What did Lalit Modi say about the Incident?
After Lalit Modi released video, he talked about that incident in brief in Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 cricket podcast. As we said earlier, Modi said that one of his security cameras recorded the whole incident. In a video, we can see that Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh) gave Sreesanth a back-han slap. Lalit Modi also talked about the same thing in a podcast with Michael Clarke. He then showed actual footage of that incident.
On releasing a video, Modi said he had not put the video out for so long. “We have 18 years behind us for this,” – Modi added.
Harbhajan Singh Talked About the Slatgate Incident a While Ago with R Ashwin
R Ashwin, another legendary off-spinner from India who has retired from all forms of Indian cricket, is running his own YouTube channel. He also invites other cricketers to his podcast and has a chat with them. In one of R Ashwin’s podcasts, Harbhajan Singh featured as a guest a while ago. Harbhajan also talked about the slapgate incident, saying he still regrets doing it. He said if he ever got a chance to remove one moment from his career, it would be this incident.
Harbhajan said what transpired was wrong; he should not have done that. The former Indian cricketer said he has apologized so many times, and is still apologizing at every stage whenever he gets a chance. Harbhajan also talked about what hurts him after so many years of the incident. The former off-spinner said he was talking to Sreesanth’s daughter with a lot of love, but Sreesanth’s daughter said she does not want to talk to him as he hit her father.
My heart was shattered, and I was on the verge of tears. I was asking myself what impression I’ve left on her. She must be thinking of me in a poor light, right? She sees me as the guy who hit her father. I felt so bad. I still apologise to his daughter. – Harbhajan, while interacting with Ashwin.
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Sreesanth’s Wife Reacted to Lalit Modi Released Video
S Sreesanth’s wife, Bhuvneshwari Kumari, reacted to Lalit Modi’s sharing a video of an 18-year-old incident. She slammed Lalit Modi and Michael Clarke to release the video in the public domain. According to her, the resurfacing of the video brought back emotional wounds, even though both participants had moved on and are now fathers of school-going children. In addition to the players’ suffering, she said, it “scars their innocent children who now have to face questions and shame for no fault of theirs.”
Sreesanth’s wife said the act was for cheap publicity and views. She even suggested they should be sued for their actions. Sreesanth himself shared her post, reinforcing her sentiments and solidarity.
CONCLUSION: Was it a Good Decision by Lalit Modi to share a Video?
Harsha Bhogle, a renowned commentator and expert, said the video was kept hidden from the public domain because of the reputation of the IPL. The incident happened in 2008, in the inaugural season of the IPL. If the video were made public, there might be a dent in the league’s reputation. Now the question arises is was it a good decision by Lalit Modi to release a video?
There are different opinions on this matter. Some people might say it offers historical transparency and resolves long-standing ambiguity over a notorious moment in IPL history. For cricket historians and fans, it fills a missing link in one of the most talked-about IPL controversies. On the other hand, many felt the release lacked compassion and served more as sensationalism than newsworthiness.
If you prioritize empathy for individuals and their families, and believe some past incidents are best left in the past, you’ll likely agree with Sreesanth’s wife that it was an unnecessary harm for sensationalism. What do you think? Give your opinion on this matter below in the comment section. Thank you for reading. We hope you find it informative. Keep following sportschilly.com for the latest updates.
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FAQs:-
(1) How many international wickets did S Sreesanth take for India?
A. Sreesanth, in his international career, took 169 wickets for India in 90 matches (Tests + ODIs + T20Is).
(2) How many IPL games did Sreesanth play in his career?
A. Sreesanth played a total of 44 IPL games in his career and took 40 wickets at an average of 29.75 and a strike rate of 22.
(3) Who is the founder of IPL?
A. The founder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is Lalit Modi.
(4) Who is the current chairman of the IPL?
A. As of 2025, the current Chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), specifically, the Chairman of the IPL Governing Council, is Arun Singh Dhumal.
(5) Where does Lalit Modi live?
A. As per reports, Lalit Modi lives in London, UK (United Kingdom).
