NEW DELHI: The man set to become one of cricket’s most powerful figures as head of India’s board enjoys close ties to the country’s ruling party and is something of an unknown among fans after a modest playing career.
Devajit Saikia was the only person nominated to be secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and is set to be anointed at a meeting of members in Mumbai on Sunday.
The BCCI holds immense sway in cricket and is one of the richest governing bodies in sport.
The 55-year-old lawyer was made interim secretary after Jay Shah took the top job at the International Cricket Council, the global governing body.
Shah’s ascension to BCCI chief in 2019 demonstrated the increasing alignment of India’s politics with the management of its most popular sport.
Shah is the son of India’s powerful home minister.
Despite standing on the cusp of taking over the BCCI, Saikia – who has a reputation for being feisty – has said previously that he never wanted to be in management.
“It was never my intention to be a cricket or sports administrator. Even today I don’t like being an administrator,” Saikia told broadcasters last year.
He said he was “compelled” to become involved in running the sport after he saw “corruption” in cricket administration in his home state of Assam.
‘Misguided criticism’
Before going into cricket office, Saikia was a wicketkeeper who scored 53 runs across four first-class matches for the Assam team in 1990-91.
Saikia began in administration by serving as general secretary of a cricket club in Assam under the leadership of Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Sarma is now Assam’s chief minister for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has governed India nationally since 2014 under the leadership of Hindu-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Saikia and Sarma both later served in the Assam state cricket association.
When Sarma was appointed to lead the state, he appointed Saikia his advocate general – the government’s chief legal adviser.
Shah’s departure last month to become chairman of the ICC prompted the appointment of Saikia, who was already on the BCCI board, as interim secretary.
Sarma’s political opponents in Assam slammed the move, saying it was improper for Saikia to accept an “office of profit” while serving with the state government.
Saikia said the criticism was “misguided”.
Away from his day job he is an avid biker with a love of adventure sports.
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