NEW DELHI: Actors Angad Bedi and Neha Dhupia hosted an event on Wednesday in memory of legendary cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi to celebrate his birth anniversary.
The event took place in New Delhi and was attended by ace cricketers including Kapil Dev, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Madan Lal, Ashish Nehra, Mohammad Azharuddin among others.
Neha Dhupia, shared how her son, Guriq Singh Dhupia Bedi, who is already showing signs of following in his grandfather’s footsteps. “That boy is two and a half, and he knows how to hit a ball and pick up his bat. He even has a twitch like dad used to have, and after every moment like that, Guriq picks up his collar just like him”, she said.
“And he asks many questions about his grandfather. And I’m hoping that you know, one day we’ll have many stories to tell when he can comprehend much more”, she added. Remembering her father-in-law, Neha shared how they bonded before her wedding to Angad.
“I think my most cherished memory of dad was when we were about to get married. He wanted us to get to know each other better. That dinner with him was the most fun I had. We broke the ice, and from knowing him as the legend to calling him dad, everything changed in a matter of minutes and lots of laughs”, Neha said.
Bishan’s son Angad also shared how special his father was not only to him but to the entire cricket community. “Just not me as his son, but I felt and I do believe that the entire cricket fraternity was very close to him. The way he led by example, his belief, his thought process–they’ve carried it forward. And today when they show up, it’ll mean a lot because now he’s, you know, he’s travelled, and I feel that they’re still there for him”, Angad said.
Sharing a fond childhood memory, the actor said, “When I was 7 or 8, there was a pickup truck in which we used to sleep and watch the stars. From there, my relationship is connected to him — from a son to him being my guru, and then finally he became my friend”.
Bishan Singh Bedi passed away on October 23, 2023 at the age of 77. The legendary spinner represented India in 67 Tests and 10 ODIs, taking a combined of 273 wickets. Renowned for his profound understanding of the game, Bedi’s elegant and rhythmic bowling action, coupled with his ability to generate prodigious spin, and his discipline with the ball earned him tremendous success.
With an astounding 1560 first-class wickets to his credit, Bedi also led India in 22 Tests, with three of the six wins coming on foreign soil. He also featured in India’s inaugural ODI, played on July 13, 1974, in Leeds. Bedi also went on to captain India in 22 Tests and played India’s first-ever ODI against East Africa in 1975 where he bowled 12 overs, eight maidens, gave away six runs and picked one wicket. Bedi is widely considered the game’s greatest left-arm spinner.
At the time of his retirement, Bedi held the distinction of being India’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. Post-retirement, he briefly served as Manager and was also a national selector. His illustrious cricketing journey was aptly recognised with several accolades, including the prestigious Padma Shri in 1970 and BCCI’s CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. (ANI)