Bishan Singh Bedi, former India captain and legendary spinner, passes away

Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi gives tips to Sachin Tendulkar in an undated photo. (Express Archive)

The outspoken Bedi made his national team debut in 1966 and had an international career that spanned until 1979. He was named captain in 1976, succeeding Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and led the side to a Test win against the West Indies in Port of Spain. This was followed by India also defeating New Zealand 2-0 at home.

Bedi, who started playing his domestic cricket for Northern Punjab, would move to Delhi in the 1968-69 Ranji Trophy season and was the leading wicket taker in India’s premier domestic red-ball competition in 1974-75.

He was a part of Indian cricket’s golden quartet of spinners, along with Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chadrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan. Together, the quartet formed the core of India’s bowling unit for over a decade between 1966 and 1978.

An undated photograph shows Bishan Singh Bedi bowling in the nets. (Express Archive)

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.

“The former India captain and a bowler who people remember to this day, Bishan Singh Bedi, is no more. It’s a tragic moment for world cricket. If I speak of Himachal cricket, he held a lot of camps at the Dharamsala stadium, when this stadium was newly formed. He used to stay in the Indian dressing room when he held camps here. Even though he had a deep connection with Punjab and Delhi, post-retirement he had deep interest in Himachal cricket. When I played for Punjab and we became national champions, he was our coach. His death is a big loss to the sport,” Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said.

(With PTI inputs. More to follow)