Exclusive - I Cried And Begged Not To Ban Harbhajan Singh: S Sreesanth On 2008 Slapgate Incident 

S Sreesanth has made a number of revelations since the infamous slapgate incident broke out with Harbhajan Singh in the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. It has been over a decade that the incident broke out and both the players have narrated their versions about how the incident unfolded.

Veteran India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh even admitted that he would like to rectify that incident in his life as it was a mistake on his part and he feels sorry about it. The incident, in 2008, broke out after a match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). S Sreesanth tried to start a friendly banter by teasing Harbhajan Singh, telling him, “Punjaab Bombay ko haraayenge, Punjaaab Bombay ko haraaynge,” as told to CricketAddictor in an exclusive chat but the spinner took it the other way.

I cried and begged and told S Nanavati not to ban Harbhajan Singh: S Sreesanth

After the incident unfolded, BCCI-appointed Commissioner Sudhindra Nanavati summoned Harbhajan Singh, S Sreesanth for the incident. Though, things were sorted between Harbhajan and Sreesanth over a dinner after Sachin Tendulkar’s timely intervention, the fast bowler did not want his senior to be banned for the incident.

Sreesanth pleaded in front of Nanavati to avoid banning Harbhajan Singh after the incident. The fast bowler said that he wants to play along side him and win matches for the national team. The Kerala star, also added that, Harbhajan Singh has always been a brother to him and helped him during the times while he was serving the ban. His ban for the IPL match-fixing incident, which was cut-short to seven years, ends in September 2020.

“It was all sorted and thanks to Sachin paaji (Sachin Tendulkar), you guys play in the same team, I said absolutely fine, I’ll go and meet him. We met and had dinner at the same night but the media took it to the next level,” S Sreesanth told CricketAddictor in a Facebook live session.

“And even in front of Nanavati sir, they have the video clipping also if not, where I’m literally crying and begging and telling him not to ban or do anything with Bhajji paa, we are going to play together, I don’t want anything to be taken away from Bhajji paa because he is a match-winner, he has taken hat-tricks for India, I’ve just started playing and I want to win matches with Bhajji paa because I consider him as my elder brother…there is a video….I don’t know whether they will give it to you or not….you can ask Nanavati sir

“But I’m absolutely fine with Bhajji paa….he’s changed a lot, I’ve….in public also he has said ‘Sree tu kahi bhi ho yaar, maaf karde’….he was always my elder brother, maybe at that point of time it was different but he will always be a legend,” Sreesanth added.

Sreesanth was a part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup triumphs. He has 87 Test wickets and 75 ODI wickets to his name.