Former Indian cricketer and legendary spinner, Bishan Singh Bedi died at the age of 77 on Monday, October 24, after a prolonged illness. On Tuesday, his son Angad Bedi and daughter-in-law Neha Dhupia shared an emotional joint statement from their family remembering the late sportsperson.
It read, "Isn’t it completely in Dad’s character to bowl us over with the ultimate spin ball, one that even we never saw coming. While we are in shock and overcome with grief, we find solace in knowing that he lived a rich, fearless and full life that inspired many. We are moved by each and every message of love we have received, publicly and personally. Thank you to everyone for celebrating his grit, humour and giant heart."
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"It is heartwarming to see how many generations Dad inspired through his life. Every day of his life was spent in devotion to his family and faith, and in service to his Waheguru. He epitomised living a life that was Nirbhau-Nirvair and we are comforted in knowing that he is with His Beloved now. Dad, we were blessed to have you as our fearless leader. We will strive to live by your motto - to observe and absorb. Keep guiding us from the great beyond", their note concluded.
Born in Amritsar in 1946, Bedi played 67 Tests for India and took 266 wickets with 14 five wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul. He was the part of Indian cricket's golden quartet of spinners, others being Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chadrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, who formed the core of India's bowling unit for more than a decade between 1966 and 1978. 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.
READ | Shah Rukh Khan, Suniel Shetty, Sanjay Dutt mourn the loss of legendary cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi: 'You will be missed'
