Devajit Saikia and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia have been unanimously elected as the secretary and treasurer, respectively, of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Their appointments follow a by-election held during the Special General Meeting at the BCCI HQ on Sunday. Both Saikia and Bhatia will assume their roles with immediate effect.
BCCI president Roger Binny said: “I extend my warmest congratulations to Mr Devajit Saikia and Mr Prabhtej Singh Bhatia on their appointments as honorary secretary and honorary treasurer, respectively. They are taking forward the exceptional legacy of Mr Jay Shah and Mr Ashish Shelar, who have set exemplary standards in these roles. I am confident that their proven administrative acumen and deep understanding of financial operations will help us reach new heights in both governance and financial management. I also take this opportunity to thank our state associations for their unanimous support and their faith in our shared vision for Indian cricket.”
Rajeev Shukla, vice-president, BCCI, added: “…Mr. Saikia and Mr. Bhatia, with their track record in cricket administration and professional expertise, are ideal choices and I look forward to working closely with them. The overwhelming endorsement from our state associations reinforces our collective commitment to taking the game to greater heights. We will continue to develop cricket infrastructure across the country and create more opportunities for everyone to be involved in our beautiful game.”
For the record, Saikia had a short (to put it mildly) cricketing career. A wicketkeeper-batsman, he represented Assam in four first-class matches between 1990 and 1991.
His meteoric rise in cricket administration, which began in 2016, can be attributed to his proximity to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, serving as the state’s advocate general and chief legal adviser to the BJP strongman. In 2016, Saikia became one of the vice presidents of the Assam Cricket Association (ACA), led by Sarma.
