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Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Arun Dhumal on Monday said that the demise of legendary Indian spinner Bishan Singh Bedi is a big loss to the world of cricket.
Regarded as one of the greatest left-arm spinners in world cricket, Bishan Singh Bedi passed away on Monday at the age of 77 years in Delhi. The legendary India spinner was known for his classical beauty of motion and ability to maintain a precise length over lengthy intervals while delicately altering his pace, trajectory, and release. At the time of his retirement, he was India's leading Test wicket-taker, with 266 wickets at an average of 28.71. "It is a big loss to the world of cricket. His contribution to cricket was huge. He had conducted many cricket camps at the Dharmshala stadium," Arun Dhumal told ANI. Bedi's command was mirrored in his stats. Only three bowlers with at least 200 Test wickets - Lance Gibbs, Richie Benaud, and Derek Underwood - had greater economy rates than his 2.14. He featured in 67 Tests for India between 1967 and 1979 and bagged 266 wickets. He also took seven wickets in 10 One-Day Internationals. In a post on 'X' earlier, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said the legendary spinner's contributions to Indian cricket and his artistry on the field will always be remembered "Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of legendary India spinner Bishan Singh Bedi. His contributions to Indian cricket and his artistry on the field will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the entire cricketing community. May his soul rest in peace," he said. The Amritsar-born spinner was the leading wicket-taker amongst Indians in First-Class cricket with 1,560 wickets in 370 matches. He played 67 Tests for India between 1967 and 1979 and picked 266 wickets. Bedi was 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 the master of fly and spin, famous for deceiving batters with subtle variations. He was instrumental in India's historic series victory over England in 1971, captaining the team in the absence of the injured Ajit Wadekar. Bedi also represented Northamptonshire in English county cricket for many years. He was also honoured with the Padma Shri Award in 1970. (ANI)
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