Former India skipper and legendary spin bowler, Bishan Singh Bedi, passed away on Monday at the age of 77. Bedi, who was known for his integrity and wit, died in Delhi.
The Indian cricket board, the BCCI, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce Bedi’s death. “The BCCI mourns the sad demise of former India Test Captain and legendary spinner, Bishan Singh Bedi. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and fans in these tough times. May his soul rest in peace.”
Former India skipper Virat Kohli wrote, “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Bishan Singh Bedi ji. My condolences to the family.”
Former India cricketer and now BJP MP, Gautam Gambhir, tweeted, “Extremely saddened by the passing of Bishan Singh Bedi ji. His immense contribution to cricket will forever be remembered. May god give strength to his family and loved ones!.”
Former Pakistani skipper, Waqar Younis, tweeted, “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of one of India’s all-time cricket legends, Bishan Singh Bedi. He was a Great Human and Master of his art. Condolences to the family and friends.”
Historian Ramachandra Guha tweeted, “Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Bishan Singh Bedi. He was a great cricketer and an even greater human being. He was a moral beacon for all those who knew him.”
Team India player Surya Kumar Yadav wrote, “Extremely sad to hear the news of demise of Bishan Singh Bedi sir. Your contribution to Indian Cricket will be remembered forever. You will be dearly missed. Rest in peace sir.”
KL Rahul, who’s currently on the World Cup duty, wrote, “Saddened to hear about the passing of the legendary Bishan Singh Bedi ji. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace.”
Bedi represented India in 67 Tests, scalping 266 wickets. The spin maestro also claimed 7 wickets in 10 One Day Internationals. His best bowling figure came during 1974 World Cup when he finished with a spell of 12-8-6-1. His bowling was the reason why East Africa were restricted to just 120.
He along with Erapalli Prasanna, BS Chandrasekhar, and S. Venkataraghavan formed a formidable spin attack for India, earning global fame even before India became a cricketing superpower.