Bishan Singh Bedi dies at 77: PM Modi, cricketers, dignitaries mourn spin legend

The cricketing world lost one of the finest exponents of spin bowling on Monday after Indian cricket legend Bishan Singh Bedi died at the age of 77 in Delhi, following a prolonged spell of illness.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former cricketers and people from all walks of life paid tributes to Bedi who played 67 Tests for India between 1966 and 1979 and was part of the famed spin quartet that also had Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan which won India many Test matches, both at home and overseas.

Here are some of the reactions:
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
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also reacted to the news of Bedi's death and offered his condolences.

"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 the pitch. My heartfelt condolences to his family members and his fans in this hour of grief," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.
Bedi was made India's Test captain in 1976, succeeding Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.  In his third Test as captain, India chased down a target of 406 runs against West Indies at Port-of-Spain in Trinidad- a world record for the highest run-chase in the fourth innings of a Test match, at the time.
Known to call a spade a spade, Bedi was vocal about several issues surrounding the game and openly voiced his opinion on various pertinent matters, including the issue of spin great Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action, which he did not think was legal.

Bedi is survived by his wife Anju and the couple has two children - Neha Bedi and actor Angad Bedi. Angad Bedi is married to actor Neha Dhupia.