Former Indian cricketer S. Sreesanth has made a startling claim about his former teammate Harbhajan Singh, alleging that Harbhajan earned Rs 1 crore from the infamous 'Slapgate' incident during the 2008 Indian Premier League (IPL). The incident, which occurred on April 25, 2008, saw Harbhajan slap Sreesanth after a match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians. Sreesanth made the claim in a recent social media post, but then blocked Harbhajan, escalating their ongoing feud.
According to Sreesanth, Harbhajan leveraged the controversy for financial gain, though no independent verification of this claim has been found. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had initially banned Harbhajan for 11 IPL matches for the slap, but the ban was later reduced to 5 matches on appeal. Harbhajan has not publicly responded to Sreesanth's latest allegation.
The relationship between the two cricketers has been strained for years, with both making occasional remarks about each other in interviews and on social media. Sreesanth, who was also involved in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal, has been trying to rebuild his career, while Harbhajan retired from all forms of cricket in 2021. As of April 25, 2026, no further statements have been issued by either party.
