Bishan Singh Bedi Profile: Bishan Singh Bedi is one of the legendary cricketers ever to have played the game for India. The former India captain, who breathed his last on Monday (October 23), was widely regarded as one of the most exceptional left-arm spinners the game has ever witnessed. He graced the cricket field donning the Indian jersey, representing his country in 67 Test matches and ten One-Day Internationals between 1967 and 1979.
Bishan Singh Bedi Cricket Records
During his illustrious career, Bedi became India's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, amassing a remarkable tally of 266 wickets with an impressive average of 28.71 at the time of his retirement. His crafty spin bowling was part of a celebrated quartet of spinners, which included the unorthodox legspinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, along with off-spinners Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan.
This quartet of spin maestros left an indelible mark on Indian cricket, particularly dominating the cricketing scene in the 1970s. Bedi's legacy as a spinner and his contributions to the sport are celebrated and remembered with great reverence. Apart from his international career , he had a great stint in the County Championship with Northamptonshire, as he scalped 434 first-class wickets there at an impressive average of 20.89. In addition, Bedi was the leading wicket-taker among Indians in First-Class cricket boasting of a scarcely believable 1,560 wickets in 370 matches.
Bishan Singh Bedi's Miserly Spell In 1975 World Cup Fixture
While he didn't grow up playing limited overs cricket as cricket was played the traditional red-ball way back then, he played a pivotal role in India's win against East Africa in the 1975 World Cup fixture, the country's only win in World Cup until the 1983 World Cup. He bowled 12 overs over for 6 runs while picking up a wicket as East Africa were restricted to 120 runs in a 60-over contest.