UK envoy Alex Ellis pays tribute to Bishan Singh Bedi

United Kingdom High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis has paid tribute to legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi

New Delhi: United Kingdom High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis has paid tribute to legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi, who died on Monday. Ellis said that his first sight of someone from India was watching Bedi play cricket.

Taking to X, Alex Ellis stated, “My first sight of someone from India was watching Bishan Singh Bedi play cricket. It was the best possible introduction – skill, strength and courage in human form.”

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Legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi passed away on Monday at the age of 77. The Amritsar-born spinner, who played domestic cricket for Delhi, finished his career with 1,560 wickets in first-class cricket – more than any other Indian.

The legendary spinner had an illustrious domestic cricket career, especially with the Delhi team, in addition to his international career. He was a mentor to several spinners and made substantial contributions to the development of young talent in India.

Bedi’s impact on the sport extended beyond the ground as he became a respected commentator and an advocate for sportsmanship and fair play.

Bishan Singh Bedi featured in 67 Tests for India between 1967 and 1979 and bagged 266 wickets. He also took seven wickets in 10 one-day Internationals. He played test cricket for India from 1966 to 1979 and he formed part of the famous Indian spin quartet (Bedi, EAS Prasanna, BS Chandrasekhar and S Venkataraghavan).

The legendary spinner also captained the national side in 22 Test matches. He was also honoured with the Padma Shri Award in 1970. Bedi also represented Northamptonshire in English county cricket for many years.

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur confirmed the unfortunate news and said, “Former India captain and spinner Bishan Singh Bedi has passed away. It is a very sad news. It’s a huge loss for India. He started so many camps in Himachal. I and the whole cricketing family stand with his family.”