One of the most infamous incidents of the IPL was when Mumbai Indians’ Harbhajan Singh slapped Punjab’s S Sreesanth during IPL 2008. Harbhajan was handed a 11-match suspension following the event.

In a social media post, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh acknowledged he made a mistake when he slapped S Sreesanth during the 2008 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
When asked by a user to comment on the episode, Harbhajan replied, “This wasn’t righ bhai. It was my mistake. Shouldn’t hv [have] done this. But Galti hui Insaan hu 🙏 🙏Bhagwaan nahi [I made a mistake, I am only human, not god],” he wrote on X.
The Harbhajan-Sreesanth episode remains one of the most infamous incidents in IPL history. It occurred during the inaugural season of the T20 league after a match between Kings XI Punjab (now called Punjab Kings) and Mumbai Indians in Mohali.
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Sreesanth, playing for Punjab, had put in a spirited performance in his team’s victory over Mumbai. As the players were walking off the field, Harbhajan, Mumbai’s stand-in captain, slapped Sreesanth.
The fast bowler was later seen on live television in tears, being consoled by his teammates. The exact reason behind the altercation remains unclear, but reports suggested that Sreesanth had provoked Harbhajan with some on-field remarks.

The incident led to severe consequences. Harbhajan was immediately suspended from the rest of the IPL season and later handed an 11-match ban. A disciplinary hearing found him guilty of misconduct, and he also forfeited his match fees.
While both players eventually reconciled, with Harbhajan apologising, including in the latest social media post, the controversy has remained a talking point in IPL history.
Now, both players have retired from the sport with both veering towards the commentary box as experts.