BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia says both men’s and women’s Asia Cup trophies will eventually reach BCCI headquarters, while discussing IPL auction plans, centenary celebrations, support for physically challenged cricketers and Subhadeep Ghosh’s fielding coach role.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia on Friday expressed confidence that both the men’s and women’s Asia Cup trophies will eventually find their way to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of the 95th BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM), Saikia said the board had congratulated the Indian women’s cricket team for their impressive Asia Cup triumph in Dubai last week. He also expressed hope that the team would continue its winning run at the Asian Games.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian women’s team chose not to accept their winner’s medals and trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi after winning the Asia Cup final in Dubai. Naqvi is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan’s interior minister. The decision followed a similar stance taken by the Indian men’s team after their Asia Cup victory last year.
“We congratulated our women’s team for their superb victory in Dubai last week. They have very nicely won the first match against Japan and we hope that they will win the gold medal in the Asian Games on 22nd of this month,” Saikia said.
On the Asia Cup trophies, the BCCI secretary said there was no fixed timeline for their arrival but remained confident that both trophies would eventually be placed at the board’s headquarters.
“Asia Cup trophies… we hope it will come one day. I will not give you a timeline, but I can assure you that both the trophies will come up and land up in this BCCI head office at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai,” Saikia told reporters.
The BCCI AGM also discussed plans for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The player auction is scheduled for the second week of December and will be the final mini-auction of the current 2023-27 rights cycle. The board is also planning major celebrations for the next IPL edition as the league prepares to mark 20 years.
Saikia further said the BCCI had discussed greater involvement of state cricket associations in supporting physically challenged cricketers. The board is also preparing for its centenary celebrations, with the BCCI set to complete 100 years in December 2027. According to Saikia, the centenary celebrations will begin in December 2027 and continue for one year.
Another key announcement concerned the Indian men’s cricket team’s fielding department. Saikia confirmed that former Assam Ranji Trophy cricketer Subhadeep Ghosh has been appointed as the team’s fielding coach on a short-term basis following the departure of T Dilip.
Ghosh previously worked with the senior Indian women’s team from 2021 to 2023 and is currently associated with the BCCI Centre of Excellence as a fielding coach. He took charge of the men’s team ahead of India’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in August.
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Saikia said Ghosh’s performance would be assessed before any decision on a longer tenure is taken. His continuation will be reviewed after India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand, with feedback from the wider team management also expected to form part of the assessment.
If retained, Ghosh could continue with the Indian men’s team through the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
