Slapgate episode between Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth The issue has come to the fore again after Sreesanth publicly criticized his former teammate during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
In the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008, Harbhajan slapped Sreesanth in a moment after the match, which led to a long suspension and was one of the earliest controversies of the league. Over the years, both players have indicated that they have moved on from the incident.
However, Sreesanth now claims that a recent TV advertisement featuring Harbhajan had highlighted the episode for humour. According to him, this crossed a limit. Although he had forgiven Harbhajan personally, turning the incident into a comic or business opportunity, especially without mutual understanding, again damaged their relationship.
Sreesanth further alleged that Harbhajan earned around ₹1 crore from the advertisement and even asked him to share it on social media, which he felt was inappropriate and insensitive. He described this as the breaking point, suggesting that what was once forgiven now becomes a source of renewed bitterness.
“I have never talked about bhajji in any interview. This is going to be the first time. There was no problem till recently, but once again they made an advertisement about it. They earned around Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore from it. Then they called me and asked me to put a story on it. I told them, 'I will forgive but I will never forget.' There is no doubt about it,” Sreesanth told Mathrubhumi.
Sreesanth's latest comment shows that, for him, the issue is not just an old incident, it is one of authenticity. Their frustration appears to be rooted in the gap between Harbhajan's public behavior and private intentions. For Sreesanth, it makes those earlier gestures feel less like genuine repentance and more like carefully managed optics.
“I have no relationship with that person. I used to call him brother. But in the last 1 or 2 months he did that ad and now I have blocked him on Instagram. My parents have taught me to forgive, but never forget. I have no grudge against him, nor do I need him. God bless him and his family. In many interviews, even with Ashwin, he talked about my daughter. People will think what a great person he is. He may be a great person. But for me, in my opinion, this is an act which Sreesanth does not accept,” Sreesanth said.
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