Sreesanth recently accused Harbhajan of continuing to profit from the "slapgate" controversy.
Ex-India spinner Harbhajan Singh on Friday (June 20) shared a cryptic post on Instagram, which is widely being interpreted by fans as a direct, veiled response to former teammate Sreesanth's recent boxing match challenge.
In his video post, Harbhajan quoted in Hindi: “Kisine bohot khub kaha hain ki karne do jo log bakwaas karte hain, hamesha khali bartan hi to awaaz karte hain”, which translates to, “Someone has rightly said, let people talk nonsense, it is always the empty vessels that make noise.”
While Harbhajan refrained from taking anyone’s name in the post, many social media users felt it was a response to Sreesanth’s recent comments on the ‘slapgate’ episode.
Speaking on The Lallantop, Sreesanth accused Harbhajan of continuing to profit from the "slapgate" controversy and challenged him for a genuine, unscripted bout.
Although both former India teammates have publicly moved on from the saga, Sreesanth recently took exception to an advertisement featuring Harbhajan that used the 2008 incident for comic relief.
Sreesanth found the act of commercialising the incident unacceptable, claiming that Harbhajan not only did the advertisement but also asked him to share the video on his own social media channels, which he refused and blocked the former off-spinner on Instagram.
The "slapgate" scandal resurfaced in August 2025 following the release of previously unseen, high-definition footage of the incident by former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi on Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 Podcast.
In the never-seen-before footage, Harbhajan could be seen slapping Sreesanth with the back of his hand during the post-match handshakes.
Sreesanth was left in tears after the incident, being consoled by his captain and Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardene. Harbhajan then once again proceeded to return towards Sreesanth, making an animated gesture before Irfan Pathan and Mahela diffused the situation.
While Harbhajan had previously expressed deep regret over the incident, his new commercial left Sreesanth angry and renewed the controversy.