India’s cricket board elects Devajit Saikia as BCCI chief

"Devajit Saikia has been officially declared elected as the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)," stated the BCCI in an announcement.

Saikia, who is 55 years old, takes over the role from Jay Shah, who left the position to become the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the global governing body for cricket.

Additionally, businessman and state cricket administrator Prabhtej Singh Bhatia has been appointed as the treasurer of the BCCI, as stated by the board.

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International games

West Indies declared twice, scoring 346/8 and 177/5, with strong contributions from Kraigg Brathwaite (95), Alick Athanaze (58*), and Kevin Sinclair's all-round effort. Pakistan A struggled in their first innings, posting 212/9 despite Muhammad Hurraira's 74. In the second innings, they chased 128/2, led by Hurraira's unbeaten 80. Key bowlers included Sinclair (3 wickets) and Jomel Warrican (2 wickets). The match ended in a competitive draw.

Shakib Al Hasan's Bowling Suspension Continues After Failed Reassessment

Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan remains prohibited from bowling in both domestic and international cricket after failing a recent reassessment of his bowling action. The evaluation, conducted at the Sri Ramachandra Centre for Sports Science in Chennai, determined that Shakib's elbow extension continues to exceed the permissible 15-degree limit, resulting in the continuation of his suspension.

Initially suspended in December 2024 following an assessment at Loughborough University in the UK, Shakib's bowling action was found to be non-compliant with established regulations. Despite this setback, he remains eligible to participate as a specialist batsman in all forms of domestic and international cricket. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has indicated that Shakib may be considered for selection as a batsman in the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Shakib's bowling action came under scrutiny during a one-off appearance for Surrey in September 2024, marking his return to the County Championship after more than a decade. On-field umpires raised concerns, leading to formal assessments that confirmed the illegal action. To have his bowling suspension lifted, Shakib must undergo a successful reassessment demonstrating a compliant action.

This is not the first time Shakib has faced disciplinary actions. In 2019, he received a two-year ban, with one year suspended, for breaching the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption code.

Domestic cricket + T20 leagues

Haryana edged out Gujarat by 2 wickets in a closely fought match. Gujarat scored 196 in 45.2 overs, with Hemang Patel's 54 and Saurav Chauhan's 32 being the highlights. Nishant Sindhu (3/40) and Anuj Thakral (3/39) starred with the ball for Haryana. In reply, Haryana chased the target in 44.2 overs, led by Himanshu Rana's 66 and Parth Vats' solid 38. Ravi Bishnoi's 4/34 kept Gujarat in contention, but Dinesh Bana's unbeaten 12 and Anshul Kamboj's steady 7* sealed the victory for Haryana.

Vidarbha comfortably defeated Rajasthan by 9 wickets in a dominant chase. Rajasthan posted 291/8 in 50 overs, with Shubham Garhwal scoring 59 and Deepak Hooda contributing 45. Yash Thakur was the standout bowler for Vidarbha, claiming 4/39. Kukna Ajay Singh’s unbeaten 64* provided late resistance. Vidarbha's reply was spearheaded by Dhruv Shorey, who smashed an unbeaten 118 off 103 balls, and Karun Nair's aggressive 122* off 82 deliveries. The pair stitched a match-winning partnership after Yash Rathod's 39, chasing the target in just 43.3 overs with ease.

Shreyas Iyer has been appointed as the captain of Punjab Kings 

Shreyas Iyer has been appointed as the captain of Punjab Kings (PBKS) for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The franchise secured Iyer's services during the IPL 2025 mega auction for a record-breaking ₹26.75 crore, making him the second most expensive player in the league's history.

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan made the announcement on the reality show 'Bigg Boss', where Iyer appeared alongside teammates Shashank Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Iyer, who previously led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to an IPL title in 2024, expressed his enthusiasm about joining PBKS and reuniting with head coach Ricky Ponting. He stated, "I am grateful to the Punjab Kings management for this opportunity and look forward to working with Ricky again. Our aim is to lead Punjab to its maiden IPL title."

PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta expressed confidence in Iyer's leadership, saying, "Shreyas brings a wealth of experience and a winning mentality. We believe he is the right person to lead our team to success in the upcoming season."

The 30-year-old right-handed batter has been a consistent performer in the IPL. His appointment is seen as a strategic move by PBKS to strengthen their squad and increase their chances of winning in the forthcoming season.

On This Day: Captain calypso

A glorious West Indian captain is born

1962

The calypso swagger of Richie Richardson, who was born today in Antigua, masked a shy, introverted character, on whom captaining a once-great side on the way out took its toll. In his pomp Richardson was a glorious player, his square-driving a particular delight. He made 16 Test hundreds - starting with 131 not out against Australia in Bridgetown and following it up with 154 in St John's, in the 1984 series West Indies won 3-0. In the return series that followed immediately after, he kicked things off with 138 in the opener, in Brisbane. Richardson averaged close to 60 against India over nine Tests, but made a third of his runs against Australia, and it was against them that he produced the last of his Test centuries, in a forgettable context - dethronement in Jamaica in 1994-95. Richardson was in charge then, as he was when West Indies were humiliated by Kenya in the 1996 World Cup.

Coming tomorrow

What else is happening

• Shami's return, new vice-captain: Five takeaways from India's squad for England T20Is: The biggest news from the squad announcement was fast bowler Mohammed Shami's return. He hasn't played international cricket since the ODI World Cup in 2023, but he has consistently been one of the star attractions during the ongoing domestic season.

• Fit-again Ibrahim Zadran, AM Ghazanfar in Afghanistan squad for Champions Trophy: Opening batter Ibrahim Zadran has regained fitness to return to Afghanistan's ODI squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE. This will be Afghanistan's first-ever appearance in the Champions Trophy.

• Jhye Richardson's season ends as he opts for another shoulder surgery: Cricket Australia contracted fast bowler Jhye Richardson will undergo shoulder surgery this week which will end his summer, despite Perth Scorchers still being in contention to play finals, with the aim of being fully fit for the 2025-26 Ashes series.

Question for you

Who should be India’s captain and vice captain?

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