Who is Devajit Saikia? The Former Cricketer Replacing Jay Shah as BCCI Secretary

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Devajit Saikia, a former cricketer turned lawyer, has been officially appointed as the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). His appointment was confirmed during the BCCI Special General Meeting (SGM) on Sunday, 43 days after the position was left vacant following Jay Shah’s promotion to Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Notably, Saikia had been serving as interim secretary since December 1, 2024. He was the only candidate to file a nomination for the role.

Along with Saikia, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia was elected as the new treasurer, taking over from Ashish Shelar, who resigned after becoming a minister in the Maharashtra government. The elections were conducted under the supervision of Achal Kumar Joti, former Chief Election Commissioner of India and BCCI’s returning officer.

Who is Devajit Saikia?

Saikia’s cricketing career was brief. He played four first-class matches between 1990 and 1991, scoring 53 runs and taking nine wickets as a wicketkeeper. After retiring from cricket, Saikia pursued a career in law and became a practising advocate at the Guwahati High Court at the age of 28.

Though Saikia never initially planned to enter cricket administration, he was drawn into it in 2016 due to his frustration with corruption in Assam’s cricketing circles.

“It was never my intention to be a cricket or sports administrator. Even today, I don’t like being an administrator,” Saikia once said. However, he felt it was necessary to step up and make a difference.

On Saturday, Saikia, alongside BCCI President Roger Binny, met with Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma in Mumbai to discuss India’s performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla expressed confidence in Saikia’s leadership, saying the changes are a positive step for Indian cricket. The upcoming IPL season, scheduled to start on March 23, will also be a major focus for the new leadership.

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