Former Assam cricketer Devajit Saikia replaces Jay Shah as BCCI secretary

Former Assam cricketer Devajit Saikia has taken over Jay Shah's position as the secretary of the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI). 
The position which was left vacant for a little over one month has been filled by Saikia. Jay Shah had taken over the chairman's position in the International Cricket Council (ICC). 

Saikia undertook his first task as the secretary by attending a meeting alongside BCCI president Roger Binny as the board held to discuss India's performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. 

Quoting sources, India Today said that captain Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir attended the meeting.

A source close to the development said that the meeting had a lengthy and detailed discussion on India's current slump in Test cricket. The source added that everything has been noted, and steps will be taken after the Champions Trophy.

Hailing from Assam, Devajit Saikia has a multifaceted background that includes a career in cricket, law, and administration. As a former first-class cricketer, Saikia played four matches between 1990 and 1991, serving as a wicketkeeper. 

Although his cricketing career was relatively short, he managed to collect 53 runs and managed to exact 9 dismissals. He began practising as a lawyer at the age of 28 in the Gauhati High Court. Earlier, he had also secured jobs in the Northern Frontier Railways and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) through sports quotas.

Saikia's entry into cricket administration began in 2016 when he became one of the six vice presidents of the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) under the presidency of Hemanta Biswa Sarma, who is now the Chief Minister of Assam. He later became the ACA secretary in 2019.