Bishan Singh Bedi, the former India captain and legendary spinner, has passed away in Delhi, aged 77, after prolonged illness.

Bedi, considered to be one of the greatest left-arm spinners, was a part of India’s famed spin quartet consisting of Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan in the 1970s.

In a stellar first-class career, Bedi picked up 1560 wickets – more than any other Indian cricketer. Making his Test debut in 1967 against the West Indies, Bedi went on to play 67 Tests and ten ODIs for India, with his final appearance coming against England at the Oval in 1979.

While picking only seven ODI wickets, Bedi was a part of the side that earned India their first win in the format. That win came in the 1975 World Cup against East Africa, a game in which Bedi registered stunning figures of 12-8-6-1 to help bowl out the opposition for just 120.

In Tests, Bedi managed to finish with 266 wickets, including 14 five-wicket hauls besides also leading the national side in 22 matches. The left-arm spinner also had a very successful stint in County Cricket with Northamptonshire and led Delhi to their Ranji Trophy titles in 1979 and 1980.