
CHENNAI: Although it was only a formality going into the Special General Meeting, the confirmation of Devajit Saikia as BCCI secretary and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia as treasurer marks a significant moment in the board's administration.
Saika, who had been the joint secretary since 2022, succeeds Jay Shah, who left the job to take over as ICC Chair on December 1, 2024. Bhatia, meanwhile, would be taking up the role of Ashish Shelar, who had to step down after being sworn in as a minister in Maharashtra’s cabinet last month. As for the vacancy of joint-secretary post which Saikia was holding, the BCCI will have to conduct an election in the next 45 days to fill the position.
A former first-class cricketer for Assam, Saikia had played four Ranji games for the state. Saikia's venture into sports administration started at the Gauhati Town Club (GTC) in 2003. Few years later, he became the general secretary of GTC, working alongside Himanta Biswa Sarma, the current chief minister of Assam, who was the president.
An advocate himself, Saikia played a significant role in the Assam Cricket Association over the past decade. He conducted a successful legal battle against financial irregularities in ACA and was eventually elected as one of the six vice presidents when the new ACA committee was formed in 2016. He briefly resigned in 2018 before being elected as the secretary of ACA in 2019.
Saikia was instrumental in the development of cricket in the region. His role in securing funds and ensuring the completion of the ACA Stadium in Barsapara is noteworthy.
"He has really worked it out from the ground level," ACA joint secretary Rajendra Singh told TNIE. "He has changed the cricket in Assam, the outlook, how people used to think about cricket in Assam and how people think now. In developing facilities, providing high quality of training and whether it is physical or technical or mental, he has been working so hard. We have a residential ACA Cricket Academy."
"I never imagined that somebody would even think of putting a mental strengthening coach in the academy. Talent has always been there, but to grooming it in the right perspective, that actually came when Saikia became the secretary of Assam (in 2019). And that's an immense change and somebody had to kick start that. We are now kind of on the path he has laid down for Assam Cricket," Singh added.
Saikia became the BCCI joint secretary in 2022 and apart from being a part of the BCCI, he has also been the Advocate General for the Government of Assam since 2021. "He is the person who was really kicked off from Assam," said Singh. "We hope the same thing will happen to Indian cricket also," he added.
In what is considered to be one of the most powerful positions in cricket administration, Saikia's biggest challenge in 2025 as BCCI secretary would be working closely with the men's selection committee and team management and ensuring that the transition happens smoothly in both the ODI and Test formats. The BCCI is set to host the Women's ODI World Cup this year as well followed by the men's T20 World Cup in 2026.
Bhatia, meanwhile, is a young entrepreneur whose family is involved in the liquor business. Son of Baldev Singh Bhatia, former president of Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh who played a crucial part in the state getting full-member status with the BCCI in 2016, Prabhtej has been a BCCI apex council member in the past as well. Prabhtej will be holding an official position for the first time since 2022.