Bishan Singh Bedi, legendary Indian left-arm spinner, passes away at 77

Bishan Singh Bedi, the legendary Indian left-arm spinner and former captain, passed away at the age of 77 on Monday, October 23. He is survived by his wife Anju, son Angad (film actor), and daughter Neha. According to reports, he passed away after a prolonged illness.

Born on September 25, 1946, in Amritsar, Bedi represented India in 67 Tests between 1967 and 1979, picking up 266 wickets at an average of 28.71, with 14 five-fers and one 10-wicket match haul.

He also claimed seven wickets in 10 ODIs at an average of 48.57. The late cricketer was not renowned for his batting skills but scored a half-century in a Test against New Zealand in Kanpur in 1976.

Bedi, along with Erapalli Prasanna, BS Chandrasekhar, and S. Venkataraghavan, formed the famous spin quartet of Indian cricket.

Although he did not make much of an impression in ODIs, he played a big role in India’s first win in the format. In a 1975 World Cup match, he registered figures of 12-8-6-1 against East Africa, who were held to 120 runs.

Bedi was renowned for his traditional bowling action and foxing batters with flight and guile and is widely regarded among the greatest spinners to grace the sport of cricket.

The former India captain represented Delhi in domestic cricket and had an excellent first-class record. In 370 matches, he claimed 1560 wickets at an average of 21.69 with 106 five-fers and 20 10-wicket match hauls. Bedi also picked up 71 wickets in 72 List-A games.

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Tributes flow in for Bishan Singh Bedi

A number of members from the Indian cricket fraternity and fans, among others, paid tribute to the legendary left-arm spinner. Here’s a look at some:

Post-retirement, he briefly served as the manager of the Indian cricket team in 1990 during the tours of New Zealand and England.

As an expert, he was known for his outspoken views on the game and did not hold back from being extremely critical at times.