"Head of the anaconda that keeps on rising"- Indian legend reacts to release of 2008 IPL slapgate video

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has reacted to the video release of the 2008 Indian Premier League (IPL) slapgate incident between Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth. He opted not to go in-depth about it, admitting that while players make mistakes, it was also time to move on from the episode.

Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi released the video on Michael Clarke's podcast last week, leading to criticism from various quarters. Meanwhile, the two-time IPL winner said on his YouTube channel:

“It is the head of the anaconda that keeps on rising. In the modern day and age, footage and videos are everywhere. I just feel it is not a proud moment for both of them. I don’t wish to address too much about it. The incident is over. Everyone knows about it. Harbhajan came to our podcast and spoke about how he felt. Yes, you made a mistake, and you need to live with it for the rest of your life."

"But you need to move on, too. Some folks may have done something like this at home and so the outside world would not know about it. I don’t wish to accuse anyone. The less we speak about it, the better. Anyone who makes a mistake, when they get a chance to move on, they take that chance.”

The video release was met with harsh criticism from both Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth's sides. The latter's wife slammed Lalit Modi and Michael Clarke on Instagram, calling the decision to release the video "disgusting, heartless, and inhuman".

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Lalit Modi reacts to Sreesanth's wife Bhuvneshwari Kumari's comments about release of IPL slapgate incident video

Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi reacted to the comments made by Bhuvneshwari Kumari over the release of the 2008 IPL slapgate incident video. Modi said that he had spoken the truth and nobody had earlier asked him about it. He said:

“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. 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."

In July 2025, Harbhajan Singh said on R Ashwin's podcast that if there was one incident he would want to erase from his life, it would be the slapgate incident.