Shah Rukh Khan and Ness Wadia were reportedly at loggerheads during BCCI’s meeting with franchise owners in Mumbai.
The franchise owners of the Indian Premier League met on Wednesday night at the BCCI headquarters to chart out the plans for the upcoming season. Ahead of the meeting, many topics were reportedly on the agenda, with the most significant being the mega auctions and the various elements associated with them. According to Cricbuzz, however, it wasn’t all sweet and sugar when the meeting began in Mumbai.
Ness Wadia (L) and Shah Rukh Khan had a heated argument during the BCCI meeting(Files)
Kolkata Knight Riders’ co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, who attended the meeting, wasn’t keen on the idea of the mega auction at all. The Knight Riders lifted the IPL title this year, dominating throughout the entire group stage to top the table, then beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in both the playoffs and final to lift the coveted trophy for the third time in their history.
Furthermore, Khan was also in favour of major retentions, while Punjab Kings’ co-owner Ness Wadia didn’t agree with the idea. Cricbuzz reported that a heated argument ensued between the two at one point in the meeting. It was further reported that Khan found support from Sunrisers Hyderabad’s co-owner Kavya Maran, who later stated that it “takes a lot of time to build” the squad.
The PBKS, in contrast with the KKR, endured a poor season in 2024, finishing ninth in the table with only five wins in 14 matches.
Ahead of the meeting, there were reports of franchises calling for as many as 8 retentions ahead of the mega auction. There were also suggestions for reintroducing the Right to Match (RTM) option; the option was scrapped in 2022 following the addition of two new teams to the tournament.
It was reported previously that the franchises were also expected to fiercely debate on potential implications for defaulting foreign players; cricketers who withdraw from the IPL, causing significant disruptions to the franchise’s plans.
While the Ambanis – the owners of Mumbai Indians – attended the meeting via video conference in addition to some other owners, Kiran Kumar Grandhi of Delhi Capitals, Sanjiv Goenka of Lucknow Super Giants, Rupa Gurunath of Chennai Super Kings, Kavya Maran of SunRisers Hyderabad, Manoj Badale of Rajasthan Royals, and Prathmesh Mishra of Royal Challengers Bangalore were present at the BCCI headquarters.
