The ‘fixer’ dispute between Sreesanth and Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh’s SRK-esque retort

Distracting from an exciting Legends League Cricket season in India in 2023, the nasty quarrel between former World Cup winners Gautam Gambhir and Sreesanth grabbed center stage. The altercation started after Gambhir reportedly referred to the seasoned fast bowler as a “fixer” during their Wednesday LLC match in Surat. Later, it spread to social media, where Sreesanth responded to a mysterious Instagram post from Gambhir with a long message. But when questioned about his thoughts on the situation, Harbhajan Singh—who helped Manipal Tigers win the championship on Saturday in Surat—channeled his inner Shah Rukh Khan and gave a brilliant reaction.

“Little things keep happening in big cities: bade baad shehro mein chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hain,” Harbhajan said during a news conference held during the tournament’s last leg.

But the renowned spinner was quickly let down when a reporter brought up the notorious “slapgate” incident that involved him and Sreesanth during the first IPL season.

“That was a historical occurrence. Let’s not discuss it. I have no qualms about admitting that I was at responsible for what went wrong at the time. I’m not sure what transpired this time (between Gambhir and Sreesanth). It would be best to limit your consumption to LLC’s excellent cricket offerings this year, he suggested.

Before the on-field umpires were compelled to step in, a gruesome situation between Gambhir and Sreesanth played out in front of the spectators during their LLC game on Wednesday. Sreesanth subsequently said during a live Instagram video that Gambhir reportedly uttered “bad words” and disrespected him. Later, the former India opener posted a mysterious message, to which Sreesanth responded angrily: “You have transcended the limits of a sportsman and a brother, and above all, you represent the people,” the writer added. And yet, you still argue with every cricket player. What is wrong with you? I just smiled and watched, and you called me a fixer? Really? Do you think you are above the Court? You don’t have the right to talk like this and say whatever you want.”

The organizers of the LLC addressed the matter on Friday, stating that any evidence of “misconduct” would be “dealt with strictly” and that they would carry out an “internal investigation”.