Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty mourn demise of legendary Indian spinner Bishan Singh Bedi

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Actors Sanjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty on Monday mourned the demise of legendary Indian spinner and former captain of the Indian cricket team Bishan Singh Bedi.

Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Sanjay wrote, "Cricket has lost a legend today, but the memories and moments created by Bishan Singh Bedi ji will live on forever. My thoughts are with his family and the entire cricketing community as we mourn this profound loss."

Regarded as one of the greatest left-arm spinners in world cricket, Bedi passed away on Monday at the age of 77 years old, leaving a great legacy behind.

Suniel Shetty, on the other hand, wrote on his X account, "Deeply saddened to hear about the loss of the spin legend, Bishan Singh Bedi. A man who was adored not just for his cricketing prowess but also for the honesty and integrity he carried in his heart. He was a true maestro of the game and an inspiration to so many. May his legacy continue to inspire generations. Rest in peace, Bedi Sir."

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. He also took seven wickets in 10 One-Day Internationals.

Shah Rukh Khan also mourned his demise and wrote on his X account, "Growing up our lives are moulded by the spirit, the gusto and sheer grace of people who we see and experience around us. Mr. #BishanSinghBedi was one of them. May God bless his soul & thank u Sir for teaching us so much about sports & life. You will be missed immensely. RIP."

Bedi, along with Erapalli Prasanna, BS Chandrasekhar and S. Venkataraghavan, was the architect of a revolution of sorts in India's spin bowling history.

In the Australian summer of 1977-78, the Indian cricket team - under the leadership of Bedi - displayed one of its grittiest performances in the five-match Test series. Even though the results were 3-2 in favour of the Bob Simpson-led home team, Bedi's team put on a mighty fight, clinching wins in the third and fourth Tests -- in Melbourne and Sydney.

Bedi was the Indian national team's first professional head coach in 1990 and emphasised fitness. After quitting the Indian team role, Bedi coached quite a few state teams and guided Punjab to its only Ranji Trophy win, in the 1992-93 season.

He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1970. Bedi also represented Northamptonshire in English county cricket for many years. He was also the father of 'Tiger Zinda Hai' actor Angad Bedi.