Bishan Singh Bedi, former India captain and one of the greatest left-arm spinners, died at the age of 77 after battling prolonged illness.
Bedi is survived by his wife Anju, son Angad and daughter Neha.
“He breathed his last at his home this morning. He recently underwent a knee operation. The infection spread and he could not recover from that,” said one of his close friends. Born in Amritsar in 1946, Bedi played 67 Tests for India and took 266 wickets with 14 five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul.
He was the part of Indian cricket’s golden quartet of spinners that also had Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chadrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan. They formed the core of India’s bowling unit for more than a decade between 1966 and 1978.
Bedi was briefly the manager of the Indian cricket team in 1990 during tours of New Zealand and England.
He was also a national selector and mentor to many talented spinners like Maninder Singh and Murali Kartik, who all swore by his technical insight.
Bedi was one of the most admired Indian captains and he led the team for nearly four years in Test cricket between 1975 and 1979 after Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi’s retirement.
Throughout his life, he remaind anti-establishment and his views often ruffled feathers of those in power.
He was the longest serving Delhi Ranji team captain from 1974to 1982 and under him the team became a force to reckon with national cricket circuit.
Condolences poured in on social media as the news of his death became public.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Leading the way
Deeply saddened by the passing of noted cricketer Shri Bishan Singh Bedi Ji. His passion for the sport was unwavering and his exemplary bowling performances led India to numerous memorable victories. He will continue to inspire future generations of cricketers. Condolences to his…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 23, 2023
Amit Shah , Home Minister
Deeply saddened by the demise of the legendary spinner and former captain of the Indian cricket team Bishan Singh Bedi Ji. Bedi Ji will live in our memories not only through his contribution to the cricketing world but also as the master of crafty bowling who could weave magic on…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 23, 2023
S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister
Deeply saddened to learn about the demise of great cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi.
I will never forget watching him turn around the 1969 Delhi Test against Australia.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 23, 2023
Shashi Tharoor, Senior Congress Leader
This was the last time I spent some time with “Bish”. The greatest left-arm spinner of all passed into legend today. What a great loss. Om Shanti. https://t.co/X0tvW3Sehg
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 23, 2023
Jairam Ramesh, Senior Congress Leader
One of India’s all-time cricket legends, Bishen Singh Bedi, is sadly no more. He was an oustanding spin bowler and a member of the famed quartet. On and off the field, he was a charming and colourful personality who spoke his mind fearlessly at all times. A conversation with him…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 23, 2023
Sachin Pilot, Congress Leader, Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister,
खेल जगत के लिए एक अपूरणीय क्षति…
भारतीय क्रिकेट टीम के पूर्व कप्तान एवं महान क्रिकेटर श्री बिशन सिंह बेदी जी के निधन की खबर से स्तब्ध हूं।
उनके परिवारजनों एवं प्रशंसकों के लिए यह एक गहरा आघात है। अपने उत्कृष्ट खेल प्रदर्शन एवं कप्तानी के लिए उन्हें सदैव याद किया जाएगा।
ईश्वर… pic.twitter.com/UppEM94ipx
— Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) October 23, 2023
Gautam Gambhir, BJP MP
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! pic.twitter.com/zDpSd4aUp2
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) October 23, 2023
Virat Kohli, Former India Captain
Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Bishan Singh Bedi ji.
My condolences to the family 🙏🏽— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) October 23, 2023
