Sreesanth narrated the exact sequence of events that led to the ugly on-field spat between him and Gambhir.
Former pacer Sreesanth claimed that during their December 2023 Legends League Cricket altercation, India head coach Gautam Gambhir told him, 'I own you' and used words like 'fixer' and 'Deshdrohi' (traitor).
Speaking on The Lallantop, Sreesanth narrated the exact sequence of events that led to the ugly on-field spat.
According to Sreesanth, he bowled a bouncer to Gambhir after the southpaw charged down the crease, which ultimately led to the confrontation.
Sreesanth alleged that Gambhir used abusive language and repeatedly called him a "fixer" and a "Deshdrohi".
Sreesanth stated he simply leaned forward and asked if Gambhir was okay, but was shocked to see his former national teammate react with such venom.
"Gauti stepped out on the first ball and flicked it because he knows my [game], he’s a very good cricketer," Sreesanth said. “I don’t know about the coaching part, but he’s a very good cricketer. So, I bowled the bouncer and he did this [duck his body away] and you know what he said? ‘I own you’. I said, ‘Not you, your party, sorry our party’. It was clear, he abused me. What he shouldn’t have said he did, he called me a ‘fixer’. I leaned forward and asked him, ‘Gauti bhai, are you okay?’ Because I was huge, it looks like I would hit him. Then he was doing ‘F-F’ (using the F-word). Then he again said ‘fixer’, ‘Deshdrohi’."
During the same interview, Sreesanth threw an open boxing challenge to Harbhajan Singh to settle their 18-year-old "slapgate" rivalry inside a real fighting ring. He also added Gambhir to his list after recalling the on-field altercation, citing that India coach won’t stand a chance against him.
“That’s why I said, ‘Bhajji dam hai toh aaja, Gauti dam hai toh aaja. Nahi ye toh tik nahi paayenge, udhar shots mein theek hai’ (Harbhajan Singh and Gauti, come into the ring if you dare. But Gauti won’t stand a chance, better he sticks in his shorts as a coach)," Sreesanth said.