Bollywood actor and Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan.
Credit: PTI Photo
Going by the latest developments, the build-up to next year's edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is already spicing up. Varying opinions from experts and team owners have surfaced in recent months regarding the need and relevance of the mega auction planned before IPL 2025. Now, the debate regarding the mega auction seems to have intensified multifold with reports of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan getting involved in a heated argument with Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia coming in, according to Cricbuzz.
A meeting was held between the IPL franchise owners on Wednesday, July 31 at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium with a view to discuss the player retention rules and other procedures to be in place involving the mega auction. Some of the franchises have reportedly voiced their displeasure against the mega auction and advocated against it, including this year's finalists Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
During the meeting on Wednesday, KKR co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan reportedly engaged in a heated debate with Punjab Kings counterpart Ness Wadia, after disagreements over the number of player retentions allowed for each team in the upcoming edition of the IPL.
While KKR and SRH advocated against the mega auction due to their encouraging performances in the previous edition, teams like Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals batted for a complete overhaul of teams and minimal player retention for each before IPL 2025.
Ness Wadia, however, has denied claims of any dispute with Shah Rukh Khan at the meeting. "I have known Shah Rukh for more than 25 years. There is no animosity here," he was quoted as saying.
Sunrisers Hyderabad owner Kavya Maran was in agreement with Shah Rukh Khan as he proposed a mini auction every year rather than a mega auction every few years. "It takes a lot of time to build a squad and as discussed it also takes quite a bit of time and investment for the younger players to mature. It has taken Abhishek Sharma three years to become consistent with his performances. You would agree that there are many such examples in other teams too," he said.