The infamous “Slapgate” controversy during the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008 still haunts former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh. During a match, in a moment of heated emotion, Harbhajan had slapped Kerala pacer S. Sreesanth, which triggered a massive uproar in the cricketing world. As a result, the BCCI suspended Harbhajan for the remainder of the tournament. Years later, Harbhajan has once again spoken out about this dark chapter in his career.
In a recent interview on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube channel “Kutti Stories,” Harbhajan said,
“If I could change one moment in my life, it would be that incident. It was the darkest phase of my career.”
He added,
“Yes, Sreesanth said something, and I lost my temper. But what I did was completely wrong. I failed to control myself.”
However, what touched him the most was a comment made by Sreesanth’s young daughter. Harbhajan recalled,
“I once met Sreesanth’s daughter. She said to me, ‘I don’t want to talk to you, you hit my father.’ That really hurt me. I realized then that I hadn’t just hurt Sreesanth, I had hurt his entire family.”
Harbhajan continued,
“I’m human, not God. I make mistakes too. But I’m deeply sorry and ashamed for what I did. I’ve apologized to Sreesanth multiple times. I hope this message also reaches his daughter—I truly regret it.”
Through Harbhajan’s words, it becomes clear that he has come to terms with his past mistake and sincerely regrets his actions. The incident also highlights how deeply personal lives are affected by what happens on the cricket field.
