Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condoled the demise of former India captain and spinner Bishen Singh Bedi stating that "he will continue to inspire future generations of cricketers." The Prime Minister further said that the legendary cricketer's passion for the sport was unwavering and his exemplary bowling performances led India to numerous memorable victories. 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 family and admirers. Om Shanti,.'' PM tweeted.
Bishan Singh Bedi breathed his last at the age of 77 after a prolonged illness. Bishan Singh Bedi was a left-arm spinner who also captained the Indian team in 22 matches. Bedi was an active cricketer from 1967 to 1979, featuring for India in 67 Tests, taking 266 wickets. He also played for India in 10 ODIs, bagging a total of 7 wickets. Widely considered as one of the finest spinners India have had, Bedi was among the architects of India's spin bowling revolution. He, along with Erapalli Prasanna, BS Chandrasekhar, and S. Venkataraghavan, played an important role in India's first-ever ODI victory. Bedi's figures of 12-8-6-1 held East Africa to 120 runs in 1975 World Cup.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.
