'His contribution will be remembered forever': Cricket fraternity mourns death of legend Bishan Singh Bedi

On Monday (Oct 23), former Indian spinner Bishan Singh Bedi passed away at the age of 77. The legendary spinner represented India in 67 Tests, ending with 266 wickets. In addition, he played 10 ODIs where he took seven wickets. Bedi ended his career, spanning from 1967 to 1979, ended with 14 five-wicket hauls and a solitary ten-fer in Tests. He is regarded as one of the finest spinners and his passing away has left a huge void in Indian cricket. After the shocking news broke out, many cricketers reacted to hisdemiseand paid their heartfelt tribute.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), former cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble,Gautam Gambhir,Irfan Pathan, MohammadAzharuddin, Dinesh Karthik, Cheteshwar Pujara paid their heartfelt tribute to Bishan Singh Bedi. Among the current lot, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, etc. havealso reacted to the sad news.

The BCCI took to its official handle on X, formerly Twitter and wrote, "The BCCI mourns the sad demise of former India Test Captain and legendary spinner, Bishan Singh Bedi. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and fans in these tough times. May his soul rest in peace."

Kumble -- one of India's finest spinners -- wrote, "Deeply saddened to hear the loss of Bishan Paaji. He was someone who always had my back and who genuinely shared his thoughts on the game. Cricketing fraternity will miss him dearly. Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and loved ones."

Meanwhile, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah also said, "Sad to hear the demise of Shri Bishan Singh Bedi. Indian Cricket has lost an icon today. Bedi Sir defined an era of cricket and he left an indelible mark on the game with his artistry as a spin bowler and his impeccable character. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time."

Bedi was an orthodox left-arm spinner whose bowling action made heads turn and was described asthe most textbook one out there. Apart from outfoxing batters with his spin, the former cricketer also led India. He succeeded the greatMansoor Ali Khan Pataudi in 1976 with his first Test victory coming against the mighty West Indies.

After his cricketing journey, Bedi honed the skills of the next crop of Indian cricketers and made a big mark on the domestic circuit. He was always known for calling a spade a spade and remained vocal on sharing his views on Indian cricket.