One of India’s greatest-ever left-arm spinners, former India skipper Bishan Singh Bedi passed away on Monday. The legendary Indian cricketer left for heavenly abode at the age of 77. Former Indian captain Kapil Dev who played alongside Bedi, in an exclusive conversation with News18, paid his homage to the cricketer.
“Bishanji inspired a generation of players in the country including me. I was fortunate to play alongside him and share the same dressing room. He was my captain, my hero, and someone who I always looked up to, and learned innumerable lessons from the game. I truly respected the man. It’s a terrible loss to the cricketing world. An absolute legend and more than anything else he was the biggest character in the history of Indian cricket.”
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The legendary spinner who bagged 266 wickets for India made his international debut against the West Indies at the famous Eden Gardens in 1966. The late Indian cricketer represented India in 67 Tests. made his One Day International (ODI) against England at Headingley in 1974 and played 10 ODI’s for the team.
Talking about his style, Dev who won the first World Cup for India in 1983 added, “He was one of the most charismatic leaders and had his style that many tried to replicate. There was so much grace in his bowling. He was able to bowl all day with rhythm and control thanks to his comfortable and well-coordinated movement and action. He possessed an unmatchable skill set. He even captained the team and got us some of the biggest victories in Test cricket overseas. I believe determination and aggression is a legacy that he will leave behind.”
Dev says that off the field, Bedi was an amazing human being, “He made sure that the mood in the dressing room was light as he had an amazing sense of humour. He always encouraged youngsters and made sure to give importance to our game yet made us believe that cricket was fun. He was a great player and a positive person.”
Dev also paid his heartfelt condolences to the family, “I pray to god to give them all the strength to deal with the loss. It is a big loss to the entire nation. His contribution to the game will be remembered forever.”
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