The inaugural season of the Indian Premier League was a defining moment in cricketing history, which changed the face of the game forever. However, among all the good things that happened in 2008, there was an infamous incident on the field that stuck out like a sore thumb.
After Mumbai Indians lost to against Kings XI Punjab in an IPL match, pacer S. Sreesanth approached Harbhajan Singh, who played for MI, for a post-match greeting. But a visibly angry Harbhajan was caught on camera slapping his India teammate, leaving the latter teary-eyed and inconsolable.
The two made up and moved on after the incident, with Harbhajan, saying on a podcast on Ravichandran Ashwin's official YouTube channel last year, how deeply he regretted the incident.
"What transpired was wrong and I shouldn't have done what I did. I apologised 200 times. What I felt so bad was even years after that incident, I have been apologising every opportunity or stage I get. It was a mistake."
But, just when it seemed that the duo had buried the hatchet finally and forever, Sreesanth recently launched a scathing attack on the former India off-spinner. In an interview with Mathrubhumi, the 43-year-old said that he had buried the past until recently, when Harbhajan starred in an advertisement, he claimed, and made around “Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore”.
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“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 that,” Sreesanth said.
The former India pacer, who was part of the 2011 World Cup winning squad, added that he has cut all ties with Harbhajan and even “blocked” him on Instagram after he asked him to share the add on his personal social media handles.
"I have no relationship with that person. I used to call him a brother. But in that last one or two months, he did that ad, and now I have blocked him on Instagram.
“I don't have any complaints against him, nor do I need him. May God bless him and his family. In many interviews, even with Ashwin, he talked about my daughter. People will think, ‘Oh, what a great person he is.’ He might be a great person. But for me, from my time playing for India to now, in my opinion, it's all an act. That act is something Sreesanth doesn't accept," he added.
