Reports: Devjit Saikia, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia set to become secretary, treasurer of BCCI

After Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) former Secretary, Jay Shah officially held the position of chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the lookout for an individual to fill his position intensified. At the same time, the role of Treasurer in the apex Indian board is also vacant and several names surfaced to hold the coveted positions. 

Devjit Saikia and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia are poised to be elected unopposed for the roles of Secretary and Treasurer respectively. It is worth noting that elections for the same are scheduled to be held on January 12 in Mumbai. There are talks that the duo are set to hold the positions and the election is just a formality. Notably, January 4 was the last day to file the nominations.  

Saikia and Bhatia filed their nomination papers at the BCCI office on January 4, reported Cricbuzz. On January 12, the day of election, BCCI has scheduled a Special General Meeting (SGM) for the formal approval from the general body to elect the candidates. For the same, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, AK Joti has been appointed as electoral officer for the by-election and will oversee the process.

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Speaking of the duo, Saikia is from the Assam Cricket Association and is the current joint secretary of the board. After Jay Shah commenced his role at the ICC, Saikia has been acting as the interim secretary.

On the other hand, Bhatia is from Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh. He is also the official nominee from the association for the SGM. Ashish Shelar, who acted as BCCI Treasurer, joined the Maharashtra government. According to BCCI’s strict guidelines, a minister or a government employee cannot hold the position of an office-bearer. Hence, Bhatia becomes a sure-shot contender to hold the office replacing Shelar.