'That Incident Still Hurts Me’: Harbhajan Singh Regrets Slapping Sreesanth

Sports News: Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh recently appeared on fellow teammate and former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin's popular YouTube podcast. The 45-year-old veteran cricketer talked about his career in the podcast. Starting from his career to retirement, Bhajji opened up about everything, even the dispute with former fellow teammate Sreesanth. The former had slapped the latter during an IPL match in the inaugural season of the tournament.

Harbhajan, representing MI, slapped Sreesanth, playing for KXIP (now PBKS), after which he was suspended by the BCCI for the remaining games.

Harbhajan's take on the incident

Talking to R Ashwin, the former off-spinner said that the incident is one thing he would like to change in his life. “One thing I’d want to change in my life is that incident with Sreesanth. I want to remove that incident from my career. That is the incident I would change from my list. What transpired was wrong, and I shouldn’t have done what I did. I apologised 200 times."

"What I did was not okay, I said Sorry"

“What I felt so bad was even years after that incident, I have been apologising every opportunity or stage I get. It was a mistake. We all make mistakes and we hope and try to never repeat such mistakes. He was my teammate and we were playing together. Yes, in that game we were opponents. But it shouldn’t have gone to that level where we behave in such a manner. So yeah, that was my fault and the only fault of his was that he provoked me, but that’s okay actually. However, what I did was not okay. I said, ‘Sorry’.”

Bhajji's conversation with Sreesanth's daughter

“What hurt me even after many years was when I met his daughter, and I was talking to her with a lot of love, and she said, ‘I don’t want to talk to you. You hit my father.’ My heart was shattered, and I was on the verge of tears. I was asking myself, What is the impression I’ve left on her? She must be thinking of me in a poor light, right? She sees me as the guy who hit her father. I felt so bad. I still apologise to his daughter that I can’t do anything," revealed Harbhajan Singh.

"Her uncle is always there for her"

“I keep telling her, ‘But if there’s anything I can do to make you feel better and make you think I’m not that kind of person, please tell me.’ I wish when she grows up, she doesn’t see me in the same light. And think her uncle will always be with her and extend any kind of support he can. That's why I want to remove that chapter,” he added.