I'm only human, not God, says Harbhajan 17 years after Sreesanth slapgate

Former Indian spin maestro Harbhajan Singh apologised for slapping S Sreesanth during the 2008 edition of the Indian Premier League, an incident that sent shockwaves through the cricketing world.

In a response to a video of the incident posted on X social media, Harbhajan said that slapping the pacer was an inappropriate reaction. " It was my mistake. I shouldn’t have done this," he said, adding that he is just a human, not God. 

The controversial incident occurred during the inaugural season of the IPL, following the match between the Mumbai Indians and the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). Harbhajan was captaining Mumbai in the absence of regular skipper Sachin Tendulkar.

Sreesanth, who played for Punjab, was instrumental in his team's 66-run victory over Mumbai. Reports suggested that Sreesanth's fiery send-off to an MI batter infuriated the Mumbai skipper, and he vented his ire at the end of the match.

Video replays showed Sreesanth in tears, with his teammates, including Yuvraj Singh and Kumar Sangakkara, consoling him. People were shocked by what was unfolding, and it was only later that they learned about the 'Slapgate' incident.

Following the incident, Harbhajan was immediately suspended for the remainder of the season. A disciplinary action was later initiated against him.

Harbhajan later apologised to Sreesanth for his behaviour and reconciled with him. Both players subsequently shared the stage during India's ICC World Cup triumph in 2011.