BCCI Appoints Devajit Saikia As Secretary, Succeeding Jay Shah

In a Special General Meeting (SGM) held on Sunday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially appointed Devajit Saikia as its new Secretary, succeeding Jay Shah, who now serves as the Chairperson of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Saikia, originally from Assam, steps into the role after serving as the acting Secretary following Shah’s promotion to the ICC position on 1 December.

Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, a cricket administrator from Chhattisgarh, was also named the new Treasurer of the board, taking over from Ashish Shelar, who is now a cabinet minister in the Maharashtra state government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Both Saikia and Bhatia were appointed unopposed, with no elections required for either position. Electoral officer A K Joti confirmed that the Secretary and Treasurer posts were uncontested, making a formal poll unnecessary.

Speaking to the media after his appointment, Saikia expressed his gratitude to the board and acknowledged the legacy of his predecessor. “I am extremely delighted and grateful to all my colleagues. I thank ICC Chairman and former BCCI Secretary Jay Shah...I will carry forward the work done by Jay Shah,” Saikia said.

Shah, recognised at a BCCI event the evening before, also attended Sunday’s meeting as a special invitee. He was commended for his contributions to both the BCCI and the ICC, with the board praising his leadership during his tenure as Secretary.

In his remarks, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla highlighted that the SGM was dedicated exclusively to the elections for the two important positions. "There was a single-point agenda for the meeting — the election of the Treasurer and Secretary. No other matters were discussed," Shukla confirmed.