'There is no animosity' - PBKS co-owner Ness Wadia on altercation with Shah Rukh Khan in IPL meeting

BCCI secretary Jay Shah met IPL franchise owners on Wednesday, July 31, in Mumbai to discuss important issues, including the need for a mega auction, number of retentions, and Impact Player rule.

During the meeting, Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia got into a heated argument with Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan over the number of retentions which should be allowed for the teams ahead of the IPL 2025 auctions.

Also Read: IPL Franchise Owners & BCCI Meeting Highlights: Retentions, RTM cards and mega auctions

Wadia recently broke his silence on the incident, saying that the difference of opinions surfaced only during the meeting and that there is no animosity between him and the legendary Bollywood actor.

"I have known Shah Rukh for more than 25 years. There is no animosity here. Everyone gave their views, and they had their opinions. At the end of the day, you have to look at all the stakeholders and do what's best for all. That's most important," Wadia told Cricbuzz in an interview.

Discussions around the number of retentions which should be allowed for each team have garnered different opinions from the franchises. While the likes of Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad reportedly want to retain seven to eight players, other franchises like Punjab Kings batted for minimal retention.

After the meeting, Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal revealed that some teams want the impact player rule to continue, citing that it offers chances for youngsters to play in the cash-rich league.

"Some people want it because it gives a chance to young players to play in the IPL. Some people don't want it because it is detrimental to Indian cricket in terms of the development of allrounders. So it's a mixed bag. I'm on the second camp. I don't want it. I prefer the game as it is 11 versus 11, and I think all-rounders are very important. And you have different players who don't bowl in the IPL or don't bat in the IPL because of this rule, which is not good for Indian cricket," Jindal was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.

The report stated that Sunrisers Hyderabad owner Kavya Maran suggested that "players could be secured via a plain retention process or a combination of retention and RTM at the auction or all exclusively via the right-to-match (RTM) card."

Also Read: CSK propose rule change to retain MS Dhoni as uncapped player for next IPL edition

Meanwhile, Jindal said that he was shocked to see some franchise owners not wanting the mega auction at all. He feels that the mega auction evens the playing field and makes the league competitive.

"I was surprised. There was a debate. Some people said that there should not be a mega auction at all. There should be only smaller auctions. I'm not in that camp. I feel that I feel that it evens the playing field and it's very good for everyone. It makes the IPL what it is. It makes it competitive. It makes it an even playing field," Jindal added.