'I made a mistake; feel ashamed': Harbhajan Singh on slapping Sreesanth, calls Lalit Modi 'selfish'

NEW DELHI: Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has reignited controversy by sharing an old video of the infamous IPL slapgate incident involving Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth. The clip, posted on social media after Modi discussed it on Michael Clarke's Beyond 23 podcast, has resurfaced nearly two decades after the incident and has drawn sharp criticism from both Sreesanth's wife and Harbhajan Singh.Reacting strongly, Harbhajan accused Modi of acting out of personal interest by releasing the footage after so many years."The way the video has been leaked, it's wrong. It shouldn't have happened. They might have a selfish motive behind it. Something that happened 18 years ago, people have forgotten, and they are reminding people about it," Harbhajan told Instant Bollywood.The former India off-spinner has long expressed regret over the incident and has publicly apologized to Sreesanth multiple times. The two players have since reconciled and moved on from the episode."I feel bad for whatever happened. We were playing, and everyone had things going on in their mind. Mistakes happened, and we do feel ashamed about it," Harbhajan admitted.Addressing the viral video further, Harbhajan acknowledged his mistake once again and emphasised that he has sought forgiveness."Yes, the video has gone viral. It was an unfortunate incident, and I have said on many occasions that I made a mistake. Humans make mistakes, and I did one too. I have requested Lord Ganesh to forgive me if I make a mistake again. Mistakes happen," he added.The controversial incident, which occurred during the early years of the Indian Premier League, remains one of the most talked-about moments in IPL history. Despite both players having reconciled and moved past it, the resurfacing of the video has once again brought the unpleasant chapter back into the spotlight.