It has been an eventful 11 months since Devajit Saikia first took over as BCCI secretary last December, following Jay Shah’s exit to assume the role of ICC President.
Re-elected at the BCCI AGM in September, Saikia admits the past year has been demanding, and now, the focus shifts firmly to the Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled for February–March next year.
While Indian cricket enjoyed major white-ball success, with Rohit Sharma & Co winning the ICC Champions Trophy and the women’s team finally lifting their maiden ODI World Cup, Saikia says it is time to prepare for another major global test.
After a tumultuous year, it’s time to buckle up for the T20 World Cup.
T20 World Cup: Venues, Policies and Neutral Grounds
The upcoming T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan playing all their matches in Colombo.
The fixtures and venues will be decided at the ICC meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday (25 November).
He reaffirmed that the tripartite agreement signed between BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) before the Champions Trophy would continue to guide future global events.
It’s agreed that for the next three years, India will not travel to Pakistan and vice versa, and their matches will be played in a third country. The same principle will be followed in the World T20, and we see no difficulty there.
According to media reports, the ICC has shortlisted five Indian venues, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad, along with Colombo for Pakistan’s matches. The final is set to be held in Ahmedabad, unless Pakistan qualify, in which case it will move to Sri Lanka, as per the hybrid hosting template followed in the Women’s World Cup.
IPL Chaos, Delays and Damage Control
Reflecting on the most challenging phase of 2025 for the BCCI, Saikia spoke candidly about the IPL disruption caused by geopolitical tensions.
The only time the IPL had been suspended mid-season before this was during Covid. But we had no option this time.
With talks of shifting the tournament to South Africa or Dubai, the BCCI instead managed to revive the league within 10 days. The season concluded on June 3 instead of late May, along with unavoidable changes in venues due to weather disruptions.
Kolkata, which lost the semifinal and final because of heavy rain caused by a weather depression, became a major flashpoint of fan disappointment.
We are aware of the heartburn among the fans. But all decisions were taken after due diligence and consultations with relevant authorities.
Women’s World Cup Triumph and Domestic Strength
Saikia credited India’s Women’s World Cup victory to the country’s strong domestic cricket structure and focused planning.
Breaking the World Cup jinx was very important. Having lost three finals before, this was psychologically huge for the team.
Under head coach Amol Majumdar, the women’s team underwent six months of meticulous preparation, planning that finally paid off. “It was satisfying to see the hard work translate into success.”
Guwahati’s Historic Test Moment
For Saikia, this week also marked a personal milestone. Guwahati hosted its first-ever Test match, a landmark moment for Assam cricket.
Saturday was a red-letter day for us. While Guwahati has hosted white-ball games before, the arrival of Test cricket will create a ripple effect and inspire young cricketers to take up the longer format.
A former first-class cricketer himself, Saikia believes this moment will have a long-lasting impact on the region’s cricketing culture.
