Widely celebrated as one of the subcontinent’s premier spin sorcerers, Bishan Singh Bedi was one of the chief architects behind India’s spin bowling renaissance.
Indian cricket luminary, Bishan Singh Bedi, has bid farewell to this mortal coil at the age of 77, following an extended battle with illness. A left-arm spin maestro, Bedi also donned the captain’s cap for the Indian squad in 22 hard-fought encounters.
His cricketing journey, spanning from 1967 to 1979, saw him grace the field for India in 67 Test matches, leaving behind a trail of 266 shattered wickets. Not confined to the longer format, Bedi showcased his artistry in the shorter version, featuring in 10 ODIs and amassing a total of 7 crucial dismissals.
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Bishan Singh Bedi dies at 77
Widely celebrated as one of the subcontinent’s premier spin sorcerers, Bedi was one of the chief architects behind India’s spin bowling renaissance. Alongside luminaries such as Erapalli Prasanna, BS Chandrasekhar, and S. Venkataraghavan, he played an instrumental role in ushering in India’s maiden ODI victory. His dazzling spell of 12-8-6-1 famously restricted East Africa to a paltry 120 runs during the 1975 World Cup.
On the domestic front, Bedi was a loyal servant to the Delhi team. Post-retirement, his passion for nurturing budding cricketers shone through as he assumed roles as a coach and mentor. Beyond the boundary ropes, Bedi’s mellifluous voice resonated as a commentator and pundit in the realm of the Gentleman’s Game.
Bedi was an outspoken figure, never one to sugarcoat his opinions, making his presence felt as a cricketing critic. The cricket fraternity mourned his passing, with tributes pouring in from legends like former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who expressed, “Bishan Singh Bedi, one of our finest, has departed. A loss to our cricketing family. My heartfelt condolences to his loved ones.”
The cricketing saga of Bishan Singh Bedi also encompassed managerial stints, as he briefly donned the manager’s hat for the Indian cricket team in 1990, overseeing tours to New Zealand and England. He also left an indelible mark as a national selector and a guiding light to budding spinners like Maninder Singh and Murali Kartik, who revered his technical wisdom.