"Bishan paaji wasn’t just a softie"- Anil Kumble shares lesser-known tale about Bishan Singh Bedi
Former Indian captain Anil Kumble shared a lesser-known tale about spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi, who passed away earlier today. Kumble recalled how he invited Bedi to his college when he was a rookie, and the latter obliged by taking the entire Indian team to the R.V College of Engineering in Bengaluru.
Anil Kumble posted a lengthy statement on his X account, describing the incident. He also shared a story from the England tour, where his body could not adjust to the time difference quickly, but still Bedi did not compromise asked him to give his best.
Kumble uploaded a photo from Bedi's visit to the R.V College of Engineering in 1990 and shared some excerpts from what the latter wrote on his 75th birthday:
"I had requested him if it would be possible for the Indian team to visit RV College of Engineering, where I was a student. I was only a rookie, and it could have been construed as an over-enthusiastic request from an excited youngster, but in a fantastic gesture, Bishan paaji readily agreed and brought the whole team over to the college. That made a lasting impression on me."
The Indian team had a camp in Bengaluru, which is why Kumble requested Bedi to come to his college. However, Kumble added that the late Indian spinner was not a softie.
"Bishan paaji wasn’t just a softie, as I came to know not long afterwards! He preferred to focus a lot on physical fitness. There was no compromise on work ethic; in that regard, he was a hard taskmaster," he added.
Explaining why Bedi was a hard taskmaster, Kumble shared his experience from a tour of England, where Bedi asked him to train hard despite being terribly jet-lagged and feeling the strain.
Anil Kumble was dropped from Indian team after the England tour
Anil Kumble mentioned that he lost his place in the Indian team after that tour of England. Ajit Wadekar then replaced Bishan Singh Bedi as the team manager, but the latter continued to stay in touch with Kumble and never hesitated to pick up his calls and give some advice to him.
Kumble concluded by saying that he loved how Bedi always called a spade a spade and spoke his mind even though his words did not go down well with everyone.