India’s powerful and wealthy Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday elected former player and advocate Devajit Saikia as its new president. Saikia, 55, was the only nominee for the top position.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued a statement confirming, “Devajit Saikia is declared duly elected as the Secretary of BCCI.”
Saikia succeeds Jay Shah, who stepped down from the position to become the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Businessman and state cricket administrator Prabhtej Singh Bhatia has been appointed as the BCCI treasurer.
Shah’s departure last month to take over as chairman of the ICC led to Saikia’s appointment, having already served as interim secretary on the BCCI board.
Though relatively unknown to fans after a modest playing career, Saikia has strong ties with India’s ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Saikia began his administrative career as the general secretary of a cricket club in Assam, led by Himanta Biswa Sarma, the current Chief Minister of Assam from the BJP.
Both Saikia and Sarma later served in the Assam State Cricket Association. When Sarma was appointed the state’s leader, he appointed Saikia as the advocate general — the government’s chief legal advisor.
Saikia had a modest career as a wicketkeeper-batsman, playing four first-class matches for his home state of Assam, scoring just 53 runs.
