Chandigarh, Oct 23 (PTI) Punjab Cricket Association on Monday mourned the demise of former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi, describing him as the greatest spinner the country has produced.

Bedi died at his New Delhi home on Monday at the age of 77 after battling prolonged illness.

Also Read | Tottenham Hotspur vs Fulham, Premier League 2023-24 Live Streaming Online: How To Watch EPL Match Live Telecast on TV & Football Score Updates in IST?.

He is survived by his wife Anju, son Angad and daughter Neha.

Born in Amritsar in 1946, Bedi played 67 Tests for India and took 266 wickets with 14 five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul.

Also Read | PCB Refutes Claims of ‘Internal Discord’ Within Pakistan Cricket Team During ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

He was the part of Indian cricket's golden quartet of spinners that also had Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chadrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan. They formed the core of India's bowling unit for more than a decade between 1966 and 1978.

With his passing away, India has lost a true icon of the game and his contributions to Indian cricket will be always cherished, PCA President Amarjit Singh Mehta and Secretary Dilsher Khanna said in a statement.

At the age of 15, Bedi was selected for Northern Punjab, and after playing for his home state, he moved to New Delhi and represented the capital city till his retirement, they said.

Bedi was also the coach of the 1992–93 Ranji Trophy-winning Punjab team, said the PCA statement.

Former chairman of BCCI's Grounds and Pitches Committee, Daljit Singh also paid rich tributes to Bedi.

"Apart from being a player and a captain, he contributed a lot to Indian cricket. As a coach, as a mentor he helped a lot of young players grow up," Singh told PTI.

"He believed in hard work and fitness. He was very passionate about Indian cricket," said Singh, who has also been a first class player and a coach.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)