Devajit Saikia Appointed New BCCI Secretary Following Jay Shah

Devajit Saikia, a former cricketer from Assam, has taken over as the new secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), succeeding Jay Shah. Saikia's election occurred during a Special General Meeting (SGM) held on Sunday. Additionally, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia was appointed as the treasurer at the same meeting.

Both Saikia and Bhatia were the sole nominees for their respective positions. Before his official appointment, Saikia served as the acting secretary after Jay Shah vacated the role to become ICC chairman. Roger Binny, using his constitutional authority, had appointed Saikia to this interim position.

BCCI Leadership Transition

Binny referred to clause 7(1)(d) of the BCCI constitution to grant secretarial duties to Saikia. This clause allows the president to delegate responsibilities if a vacancy arises or an office bearer is indisposed. "The president shall in the event of vacancy or indisposition shall delegate the functions to another office bearer until the vacancy is duly filled up or indisposition ceases," Binny explained in his communication with Saikia.

In his letter to Saikia, Binny expressed confidence in his abilities: "Accordingly, I delegate the functions of secretary to you till the post is filled up by processes laid down as per BCCI rules and regulations. I am confident you will perform the duties to the best of your abilities and with aplomb."

Jay Shah's Tenure and Contributions

Jay Shah had been serving as BCCI secretary since October 2019. During his tenure, he focused on various aspects of Indian cricket administration. He placed significant emphasis on domestic cricket and ensured that women's match fees were equalised with those of men's players.

Shah also maintained active communication with Indian players. He supported Rohit Sharma's leadership for India's T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in Barbados. "Rohit has the ability, we know. As he showed in the ODI World Cup where we won 10 matches in a row until the final," Shah stated at an event renaming Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot as Niranjan Shah Cricket Stadium.