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, who hails from Assam, assumes the role after serving as the acting Secretary following Shah’s elevation to the ICC’s top post on December 1.
Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, a cricket administrator from Chhattisgarh, was also named the board’s new Treasurer, taking over from Ashish Shelar, who has since become a cabinet minister in the Maharashtra state government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Both Saikia and Bhatia were appointed unopposed, with no election needed for the two positions. Electoral officer A.K. Joti confirmed that the posts of Secretary and Treasurer were uncontested, thereby eliminating the need for a formal poll.
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, PTI and others reported.
Shah, who had been honored at a BCCI event the previous evening, was also a special invitee at Sunday’s meeting. He was lauded for his contributions to both the BCCI and the ICC, as the board acknowledged his leadership during his tenure as Secretary.
In his remarks, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla emphasized that the SGM was focused solely on the elections for the two key posts. “There was a single-point agenda for the meeting — the election of the Treasurer and Secretary. No other matters were discussed,” Shukla confirmed.