Former Assam Ranji player and the current Advocate General of the
state, Devajit Lon Saikia, was on Sunday officially appointed the BCCI
secretary, replacing Jay Shah, who took over as ICC chairman last
month.

Along with Saikia, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, who had earlier served as a
councilor, took over as the new treasurer of the board. Bhatia
succeeds Ashish Shelar, who had to step down immediately after being
sworn in as a minister in the Maharashtra cabinet last month.

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Both Saikia and Bhatia were the lone candidates in their respective
categories, and as such there was no need for a ballot vote. Election
officer A.K. Joti formally appointed the duo as office-bearers in the
board’s Special General Meeting that lasted mere 10 minutes on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Saikia’s elevation as the secretary has also left the joint
secretary’s post vacant, and thus the board will now have to fill the
post within the next 45 days, according to the BCCI constitution.

Saikia, the new BCCI secretary featured in four Ranji Trophy matches
for Assam in 1990-91. Ever since he stepped into cricket
administration in 2016, he has played a pivotal role in uplifting the
state of the sport in Assam. Under Saikia’s tenure as the Assam
Cricket Association secretary, he ensured completion of the Barsapara
Cricket Stadium, besides completing the construction of the Amingaon
Cricket Stadium in North Guwahati.

Saikia was also instrumental in bringing the Indian Premier League to
the Northeast, and while the preparations started back in 2020-21,
Guwahati finally witnessed live IPL action in 2023 when Rajasthan
Royals announced the city as their second base.

During his stint at ACA as general secretary, women’s cricket saw a
structural change, resulting in two cricketers Jintimoni Kalita and
Uma Chettry rising in the national scene. While all-rounder Jintimoni
was roped in by Mumbai Indians franchise for the inaugural Women’s
Premier League, wicketkeeper Uma is now a regular in the Indian
women’s team.

“During my tenure with the ACA from 2019-2022, we had started an
inter-district tournament with 18 districts and the Challengers Trophy
among the top six teams in which we had a pool of around 90 girls. In
fact, earlier there was no structure for women’s cricket. Earlier, the
girls came and straightway played for the state, there was no way to
access the player’s strengths, so these tournaments have really helped
the girls to perform and catch the attention of the selectors,” Saikia
had told The Statesman.

“Today we have girls like Uma and Jinti who have made it up the
ladder. These are encouraging signs for women’s cricket in the state
and the country.”

Saikia wears many hats, and besides being a sports administrator, he
also is a seasoned lawyer, biker and travel enthusiast.

“I compartmentalise my time schedule and workload. When I’m at the ACA
stadium or at the BCCI office in Mumbai, I focus only on the work
there. Once I’m out of the cricket offices, I am a different person
altogether. Likewise, when I’m at the court from 10:30 am to 4:15 pm,
I’m totally a lawyer, once I come out of the court and reach the
Guwahati Town Club, I mingle with the people out there, and when I’m
with my biker’s gang, I am a traveller. That is the best way to manage
your stress and recharge your batteries,” he said.

He currently serves as Attorney General for the government of Assam,
and his proximity with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is also
well-known.

“My relationship with the CM dates back to our school days, although
we were a part of different schools, we have known each other closely
for more than 40 years now. We have practised together in the court;
have fought a lot of cases together, in fact 80 percent of his law
books are in my library, as he finds it difficult to manage his
books,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bhatia isn’t a complete stranger to cricket administration,
and the young entrepreneur will hope to use his father, Baldev Singh
Bhatia’s rich experience in cricket administration. Baldev Singh
played a crucial part in helping Chhattisgarh attain BCCI’s full
membership in 2016.