Cricketer-turned-expert Harbhajan Singh recently recalled an unforgettable moment from his cricketing career, dating back to the 2008 slapgate incident with former cricketer Sreesanth and the impact it had on the latter's daughter. The former off-spinner lost his cool and infamously went on to slap the Kerala pacer after Match 10 of the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 between Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in Mohali.
The incident garnered a lot of eyeballs back then and spread like wildfire in the cricketing fraternity, which eventually led to Harbhajan being suspended for the entire season. The expert recalled the unpleasant moment in his otherwise glorious career and said he wants to completely erase it from his career.
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“One thing I’d want to change in my life is that incident with Sreesanth. I want to remove that incident from my career. That is the incident I would change from my list. What transpired was wrong, and I shouldn’t have done what I did. I apologized 200 times. What I felt so bad was that even years after that incident, I have been apologizing every opportunity or stage I get. It was a mistake,” said Harbhajan on Kutti Stories with Ash.
Harbhajan Singh recalls emotional slapgate moment with Sreesanth's daughter
The former off-spinner further went on to state his emotional moment with Sreesanth's daughter, where she reminded him of the unpleasant incident, saying, 'you hit my father', which left Harbhajan embarrassed and shattered.
“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. I was asking myself what 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 apologize to his daughter that I can’t do anything,” he added.
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Over the years, both Harbhajan and Sreesanth have moved on from that incident and have often been spotted gelling well in public events. The duo also went on to play starring roles for India in their victorious 2011 ODI World Cup campaign.
