The infamous IPL 2008 Slapgate controversy has returned to the spotlight after former IPL chairman Lalit Modi released an unreleased video of Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth. While the cricket world debates, senior Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has urged everyone to move on, calling the issue “the head of an anaconda that keeps rising again and again.”

Lalit Modi reignites Slapgate

Last week, Lalit Modi shared a video from the 2008 IPL season where Harbhajan Singh slapped Sreesanth after a match between the Mumbai Indians and the Kings XI Punjab. The video, which was never made public before, instantly went viral.

Reacting strongly, Sreesanth’s wife, Bhuvneshwari, called the act “inhuman and cruel” and accused Modi of chasing “cheap publicity.” She said, “Harbhajan and Sreesanth have moved on as fathers to school-going children. Reviving this incident after 17 years is disgusting and painful.”

Lalit Modi responded coolly, “I only spoke the truth. Sreesanth was the victim. I don’t understand the anger.”

Lalit Modi has released the actual unseen ground footage of Harbhajan slapping Sreesanth in IPL 2008.

All my life I thought it was a really hard slap pic.twitter.com/E23PpS4nR2

— Yogesh (@yogesharma92) August 29, 2025

Ashwin urges cricket to move forward

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin used a vivid metaphor:
“This is like the head of an anaconda that keeps rising again and again. The incident was not a proud moment for either Harbhajan or Sreesanth. Everyone knows what happened. The less we talk about it, the better. Those who made mistakes should use the lesson to move forward.”

Ashwin reminded fans that Harbhajan himself had earlier admitted regret. On Ashwin’s own show months ago, Harbhajan said, “If I want to erase one incident from my life, it would be this.”

Chalo kam se kam ehsaas to hai galti ka 😿 pic.twitter.com/Bc9ericboZ

— Introvert //🙇🏻‍♂️ (@introvert_hu_ji) August 30, 2025

Harbhajan Singh reacts to viral video

Harbhajan Singh, who was banned for 11 matches at the time, admitted his

mistake once again but condemned the release of the video:
“The way this video was released is very wrong. There is only selfishness behind it. I am ashamed of what I did then. I made a mistake, and I have apologised many times. Unfortunately, the video has gone viral again.”

Why does this matter now?

The Slapgate incident is one of the darkest moments in IPL history. Both Harbhajan and Sreesanth have moved on, even reconciling as friends. But the resurfacing of this video has sparked debate about whether old wounds should be reopened in the digital age.

Ashwin’s words, “the head of an anaconda”, reflect the cricket community’s fatigue over a controversy that refuses to die.