The infamous 2008 “slap-gate” episode involving Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth has resurfaced after former IPL chairman Lalit Modi claimed he still possesses unseen footage of the altercation.

Modi made the remarks during ex-Australian cricketer Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, suggesting that his private security cameras had captured angles missed by television broadcasters. The assertion has sparked fresh debate around one of the Indian Premier League’s earliest controversies.

The claim, however, provoked an emotional outburst from Sreesanth’s wife Bhuvneshwari, who accused both Modi and Clarke of reopening old wounds for publicity. In a strongly worded Instagram post, she said:

“Shame on you @lalitkmodi and @michaelclarkeofficial. You are dragging up something from 2008 for cheap publicity. Both @sreesanthnair36 and Harbhajan have moved on with dignity; they are fathers now with school-going children. To push them back into an old wound is heartless and inhuman.”

She stressed that her husband had rebuilt his life “with strength and grace” and that the resurfacing of the controversy was deeply painful for their family. “This doesn’t just hurt the players; it scars their innocent children who are now forced to face questions and shame for no fault of theirs,” she added.

The incident in question occurred in Mohali during the inaugural IPL season, when Mumbai Indians’ stand-in captain Harbhajan Singh slapped Kings XI Punjab pacer Sreesanth after a heated exchange following Punjab’s victory. Harbhajan was suspended for the remainder of the tournament, though the two players reconciled in later years.

Despite this reconciliation, Modi has reignited the row by hinting at revealing unseen footage. Sreesanth’s wife denounced the move as “cheap and inhumane”, even warning that he “should be sued”. She further criticised the podcast for deleting her comments.

While both players have long put the matter behind them, Modi’s remarks have once again brought one of IPL’s most controversial chapters back into the spotlight, fuelling debate on whether such sensitive episodes should remain buried or be revisited in the name of cricket history.

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Meanwhile, Harbhajan, in a recent social media interaction, reiterated his guilt and remorse over the thoughtless act, indicating that if given a chance, he would go back and rectify the mistake — stopping it from ever happening. (With inputs from Agencies)