On Monday, October 23, former India captain and left-arm spinner Bishan Singh Bedi passed away in New Delhi after a protracted illness. Bishan Singh Bedi played 67 Tests, 10 ODIs, and led the side in 22 games for India. In 67 Test matches, the cricketer from Punjab took 266 wickets at an average of 28.71, including 14 five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul.
The great spinner’s passing has been lamented by the whole cricket community, and Geoff Allardice, the chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has also offered his condolences. Allardice praised his adaptability and claimed that he would have been a great in any time period.
“It breaks my heart to learn of Bishan Bishan Singh Bedi passing. I would like to send the family of one of the game’s greats, whose accomplishments in Test cricket will be long remembered, our deepest sympathies on behalf of everyone at the ICC. He was the kind of spinner who could perform well in various environments and would have been a legend in any age, according to Geoff Allardice.
The left-arm spinner, who was inducted into the esteemed ICC Hall of Fame, claimed seven wickets from ten ODI matches. Additionally, he led India in 22 Test matches, winning six of them while drawing five.
Bishan Singh Bedi was additionally enshrined in the ICC Hall of Fame.
During the 1975 World Cup, Bedi was one of the key players in India’s first-ever ODI victory over East Africa. The left-arm spinner bowled at an economy of 0.50 and only conceded six runs in the game’s 12 overs. In addition, he recorded eight maidens during his lengthy tenure, only managing to take one wicket.
East Africa was dismissed for just 120 runs in 55.3 overs because to his outstanding effort, and India won the match by 10 wickets. Bedi managed the Indian Cricket Team in 1990 during tours to New Zealand and England after retiring from the sport in 1979.