The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named Devajit Saikia as the new secretary and Prabhtej Bhatia has been appointed as the treasurer, during the Special General Meeting (SGM) in Mumbai. Saikia and Prabhtej were the only candidates for the respective posts.
Saikia was the interim BCCI secretary as Jay Shah took over as the ICC Chairman on December 1, 2024. The BCCI constitution stipulates that any post lying vacant should be filled within 45 days by calling an SGM, and Sunday's meeting is well within that period, held on the 43rd day.
Sports Tak earlier reported that Devajit Saikia filed his nomination for the post of secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday, January 4, while Prabhtej Bhatia applied for the post of treasurer. Both officials are the only applicants for the two roles.
A source close to the development said the meeting included a lengthy and detailed discussion of India's current slump in Test cricket.
“The meeting was detailed, with lengthy discussions on the team’s performance, especially the batting lineup. Management wanted to understand why Indian batters, despite having a strong lineup, have not been able to perform. They also focused on identifying the core reasons and how to rectify them,” a source in the know said Sports Tak.
'Who is Devajit Saikia?
Devajit Saikia is a former cricketer who played four first-class matches from 1990 and 1991 as a wicketkeeper batter. In his short cricketing career, he managed to score 53 runs and got 9 dismissals. After his cricketing days, Saikia started practising law at the age of 28 at The Gauhati High Court in Guwahati, Assam. He also worked in the Northern Frontier Railways and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) through sports quotas.
Sakia came into the cricket administration in 2016 when he became one of the six vice presidents of the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) under the presidency of Hemanta Biswasarma, who is now the Chief Minister of Assam. He later became the ACA secretary in 2019, a position he held until his election as the BCCI joint secretary in 2022.