Chris Gayle seemingly picks Sreesanth's side in 'proposed' boxing match vs Harbhajan Singh during Kerala visit

Former India pacer Sreesanth claimed on a light note that IPL legend Chris Gayle suggested he would be on his side during a boxing match against Harbhajan Singh.

Sreesanth and Harbhajan have been at loggerheads since last year after the 2008 slapgate incident was brought back to the spotlight.

Sreeshanth revealed he imitated Harbhajan's action when bowling to Gayle during an exhibition event at the Kerala Cricket League (KCL).

Has Chris Gayle chosen his side in a potential Harbhajan Singh vs Sreesanth rumble?

Chris Gayle has spent the past few days in Kerala as co-owner of the Kochi Blue Tigers, taking in his side's Kerala Cricket League fixtures and describing the competition as a platform for young Malayali cricketers to showcase themselves and earn a living.

What he probably did not anticipate was being asked to pick a corner in one of Indian cricket's longest-running feuds. The West Indian southpaw took to the field at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram for a light-hearted exhibition, facing deliveries from Sreesanth and Mohammed Inan, among others, and clearing the ropes with most of them.

Somewhere amid the sixes, Harbhajan Singh's bowling action made an appearance, and the conversation turned to the fight Sreesanth has been publicly demanding since June.

Sreesanth reveals he imitated Harbhajan Singh's action while bowling to Chris Gayle

The Harbhajan impressions began with Sreesanth, who sent down a delivery mimicking the off-spinner's action during the exhibition. Gayle, meanwhile, in true Universe Boss style, smacked the ball for a six .

Recounting the exchange afterwards, Sreesanth revealed that Gayle had raised the subject of the proposed bout himself before answering, which the Kerala pacer took as a clear endorsement.

"Chris Gayle asked me when the boxing match with Bhajji is [going to take place]," Sreesanth said . "I told him it would happen soon, and I asked him where he would sit. Gayle said he will be on my right side."

Gayle himself has not publicly confirmed any allegiance in the matter, however. The bout itself was proposed by Sreesanth after Harbhajan seemingly mocked him in an ad referencing the slapgate incident. earlier this year.

In response, the pace bowler further revealed that he blocked his former teammate on social media and later challenged Harbhajan to settle thiswith a bout in the boxing rin. Whether it will actually happen remains in doubt.

The chances of a boxing match actually happening remain razor-thin

Strip away all the noise and all this reads less like a boxing promotion than a grievance in search of an audience.

Last year, Harbhajan had mentioned on R Ashwin's podcast that he regretted the whole slapgate incident. This remorseful talk quickly took a turn when he mocked Sreesanth in a Flipkart ad, reportedly earning between an estimated 80 lakh to 1 crore through that, according to Sreesanth .

Harbhajan took this one step further by asking his former teammate to post the humiliating ad on his Instagram story. At this point, Sreesanth, clearly done with niceties, issues his boxing challenge. Harbhajan then indirectly mocked him with an Instagram post that said empty vessels always make the most noise.

The whole angle of Gayle picking a corner in this feud has added yet another famous name to the circus. But famous names are exactly what this feud has never lacked. What it has always lacked is a reason for anyone outside the two of them to want it resolved in a ring rather than forgotten entirely.

For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook , Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages