S Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh’s long-standing conflict has reappeared, and it seems to have ruined their partnership entirely. After being part of the controversial 2008 IPL “slapgate” episode, the two former India teammates appeared to have moved on. Sreesanth has made it apparent that he no longer has a relationship with Harbhajan and has even blocked him on social media, but recent events have resurrected old scars. Sreesanth claims that once Harbhajan supposedly appeared in an advertisement based on the slapgate controversy, the problem erupted once more. He said this was quite distressing.
Sreesanth goes after Harbhajan Singh
In an interview with Mathrubhumi, Sreesanth went after his former Indian teammate for making an advertisement about the ‘Slapgate’ controversy from IPL 2008. The former Indian pacer said, “I have never spoken about Bhajji in any interview. This is going to be the first time. Until recently, there were no problems, but he made an ad about it once again. He made around Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore off it. He then called me and asked me to post a story about it. I told him, ‘I’ll forgive but I’ll never forget.’ If someone wrongs you, you should forgive them but never forget. If you forget, they will do the same thing again. He is the biggest example of that. There is no doubt about it.”
Sreesanth blocks Harbhajan Singh on Instagram over the Slapgate controversy
Sreesanth said he no longer had a relationship with the former Indian off-spinner, whom he used to refer to as a “brother,” after being disappointed by Harbhajan’s recent behavior. He has forgiven Harbhajan for slapping him during the 2008 Indian Premier League, but he still remembers what the former spinner did. “I have no relationship with that person. I used to call him a brother. But in the last one or two months he did that ad, and now I have blocked him on Instagram,” Sreesanth said.
How much Harbhajan Singh earned from the Slapgate controversy
Sreesanth has made a noteworthy assertion, claiming that Harbhajan earned around Rs 1 crore for recording a commercial about the IPL scandal. He further claimed that the former bowler flatly rejected Harbhajan’s request for him to post the advertisement on his Instagram account. Talking about this, Sreesanth said, “He (Harbhajan Singh) made around Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore off it. He then called me and asked me to post a story about it. I told him, ‘I’ll forgive but I’ll never forget.’”
Harbhajan Singh-Sreesanth fight during IPL 2008
Unseen Video Of Harbhajan Singh Slapping S Sreesanth In IPL 2008 Released by Lalit Modi After 18 Years 😳
pic.twitter.com/DpKrhMykHl— Fan RCBians (@RcbianOfficial) August 29, 2025
During the inaugural IPL, Mumbai’s captain at the time, spinner Harbhajan Singh, smacked Indian fast bowler Sreesanth of the Punjab franchise. TV cameras saw Sreesanth sobbing on the field prior to the presentation ceremony, which brought attention to the situation. Following the incident, Harbhajan’s behavior was deemed “unacceptable” by both his teammates and Punjab’s coach, Tom Moody. Later, Sreesanth played down the incident, claiming that Harbhajan was “like an elder brother” to him and that he had no concerns.
But after being found guilty, the IPL barred Harbhajan from competing for the rest of the competition and forbade the spinner from getting paid. After conducting a separate investigation, the BCCI even banned Harbhajan for five ODIs.
