In a recent interview, former Indian pacer S. Sreesanth threw light on the well-known “Slapgate” episode from 2008 IPL and stated the reason for not retorting when Harbhajan Singh, the spinner, slapped him during a game. Sreesanth, the cricketer from Kerala, mentioned that he has been frequently questioned, mainly by his fellow Malayalis, as to why he didn’t resort to violence despite being the aggressive type on the field.

The event took place in Mohali during the first IPL season when Harbhajan, the Mumbai Indians’ captain at that time, slapped Sreesanth after the Kings XI Punjab had beaten MI. Sreesanth’s tears on live television drew viewers’ attention, and the incident subsequently became the first major controversy of the league. Although the clash was much talked about, the video footage was kept hidden for 18 long years, sealed by the BCCI and the broadcasters.

Earlier this year, the controversy was revived when Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman, released the unreleased video clip on Michael Clarke’s Beyond 23 podcast, which eventually elicited responses from the fans and families concerned with it, including Sreesanth’s wife and Harbhajan. Responding to the long-standing questions regarding his non-action, Sreesanth said that especially the Malayali fans criticized his silence.

“There have been so many Malayalis asking me why I didn’t retaliate despite being so aggressive. Some even suggested that I should have killed him. Had I done so, I would have been given a lifetime ban. Kerala was not that powerful back then. I was the only one from Kerala in the team,” he remarked during an interview with Ranjini Haridas on a YouTube channel.

The ex-cricketer also mentioned that taking revenge would have put at risk the careers of the aspiring Indian cricketers from Kerala in the future.

“Sanju (Sanju Samson) is okay. Sachin Baby and Nidheesh (M. D. Nidheesh) are okay too. You know why I didn’t retaliate? It was because of the senselessness of the situation. A few individuals got to live another day. Do not think I am talking from the mountain top. That’s my justification. It has been stated in numerous stories. When we are at the top, we must use our power for good and help others. My dad always says when we have power we need to be the helpers not the show-offs in front of the more powerful,” he further explained.

The old video clip showed Harbhajan calling Sreesanth closer before hitting him. The senior players like Mahela Jayawardene and Irfan Pathan were able to quickly intervene and the escalation of the situation was stopped.

Sreesanth’s spouse, Bhuvaneshwari, was distressed by that video being made public almost two decades later, saying it brings back old wounds and leads the children to get unfair scrutiny. She has also demanded that legal measures be taken against both Harbhajan and Lalit Modi. Harbhajan, who received an 11-match ban in 2008, has been remorseful continually throughout the years. He took the leaked video as a chance to attack Modi for “selfish motives” and to say that the incident should have just stayed buried.