Harbhajan Singh Reveals Heartbreaking Encounter With Sreesanth’s Daughter After “Slapgate” Incident

July 21, 2025: The “slapgate” incident from the first season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 still haunts former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, 17 years later. Harbhajan talked about a tragic meeting with Sreesanth’s kid on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube show “Kutti Stories with Ash.” It almost made him cry.

The event in question happened after a game between the Mumbai Indians (headed by then-captain Harbhajan) and the Kings XI Punjab (now the Punjab Kings). Harbhajan slapped then-pacer Sreesanth, who subsequently cried on the pitch. The event caused a lot of trouble, and Harbhajan was banned from the rest of the competition.

While both cricketers have publicly moved on from the incident and share an amicable relationship, even being part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning squad, Harbhajan confessed that the memory still carries a heavy weight.

“One thing I’d want to change in my life is that incident with Sreesanth. I want to remove that incident from my career,” Harbhajan stated, expressing deep regret. “What transpired was wrong and I shouldn’t have done what I did. I apologised 200 times.”

However, it was a conversation with Sreesanth’s daughter that truly shattered him. Harbhajan recounted, “What hurt me even after many years was when I met his daughter and I was talking to her with a lot of love and she said, ‘I don’t want to talk to you. You hit my father.’ My heart was shattered and I was on the verge of tears.”

The veteran off-spinner reflected on the lasting impression his actions left, saying, “I was asking myself what is the 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 that I can’t do anything.” He added that he hopes when she grows up, she won’t see him in the same light.

The “slapgate” remains one of the most talked-about controversies in IPL history, and Harbhajan Singh’s candid confession underscores the profound personal impact it continues to have on him.