Indian cricket mourns the loss of Bishan Singh Bedi, the iconic former captain and legendary spinner, who has passed away in Delhi at the age of 77 after a prolonged illness.
Bedi, widely regarded as one of the finest left-arm spinners in cricket history, was an integral part of India’s celebrated spin quartet during the 1970s, alongside Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna, and Srinivas Venkataraghavan.
Throughout his illustrious first-class career, Bedi claimed an impressive 1560 wickets, a record unmatched by any other Indian cricketer. He made his Test debut in 1967 against the West Indies and went on to represent India in 67 Tests and ten ODIs. His final appearance for the national team was against England at the Oval in 1979.
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 🙏 pic.twitter.com/oYdJU0cBCV
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2023
While his ODI career saw him capture just seven wickets, Bedi played a crucial role in India’s inaugural ODI victory in the 1975 World Cup against East Africa. In that historic match, he delivered remarkable figures of 12-8-6-1, contributing significantly to bowling out the opposition for a mere 120 runs.
In Test cricket, Bedi concluded his career with 266 wickets, including 14 five-wicket hauls. He also served as the captain of the national side in 22 matches. Notably, Bedi enjoyed a highly successful stint in County Cricket with Northamptonshire and led Delhi to Ranji Trophy titles in 1979 and 1980. His legacy as a cricketing icon will forever be cherished in the annals of Indian cricket.
