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On Friday, August 29, Founder and Former Chairman of the esteemed Indian Premier League (IPL), Lalit Modi released unseen video footage of the viral slap-gate incident, involving former Indian cricketers - S Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh from its inaugural edition. The video was shown on ex-Australian cricketer Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 podcast, bringing back memories of the infamous incident.
Just hours after the release, former Indian speedster S Sreesanth’s wife - Bhuvneshwari Sreesanth slammed Lalit Modi and Michael Clarke and criticised the move. “Shame on you, Lalit Modi and Michael Clarke. You people are not even human to drag up something from 2008 just for your own cheap publicity and views. Both @sreesanthnair36 and Harbhajan have long moved on; they are fathers now with school-going children, and yet you try to throw them back into an old wound. Absolutely disgusting, heartless, and inhuman,” she wrote on her Instagram story.
Why she is getting angry?… I shared the truth: Lalit Modi hits back at Bhuvneshwari Sreesanth
Bhuvneshwari even went on to claim that with the re-release of this video, the family is “being forced to relive trauma that was buried decades ago”. But hours after her response, the exile ex-IPL Chairman has hit back at her statements while adding that he just shared the truth while claiming Sreesanth as a “victim”. In an interaction with IANS, Lalit Modi expressed shock as to why Bhuvneshwari Sreesanth was getting angry even when he shared the truth.
“I don't know why she (Sreesanth's wife Bhuvneshwari) is getting angry. I was asked a question, and I shared the truth. I can't do anything about that. I am known to speak the truth,” Lalit Modi said. “Sree was the victim, and that's exactly what I said. No one had asked me this question earlier, so when Clarke quipped, I responded,” he added.
Though the exact story behind the altercation continues to remain unknown, reports suggested Sreesanth’s on-field remarks may have provoked Harbhajan Singh. The incident had severe actions on the player as Harbhajan was suspended for the remainder of the season, getting 11-match ban, but the two have come in sync after multiple apologies.
