Bishen Singh Bedi — The man who has kept in touch with his inner child

Bedi, the youngest and most colourful of India’s great spin quartet, turns 75 this week

You tend to remember where you first met your heroes. Of India’s great spin quartet, I met Erapalli Prasanna and Bhagwat Chandrasekhar at the KSCA while attending a camp for schoolboys. Venkatraghavan I met at a movie theatre (showing Murder on the Orient Express, with Albert Finney as Poirot).

But I can’t pinpoint where I first met Bishan Bedi. It’s as if I have known him all my life. In any case he treats you as if he has known you all your life too, so beginnings don’t really matter.

I have been fortunate to watch and report cricket while some of India’s greatest players, from Tiger Pataudi to K.L. Rahul have been in action. The spin quartet was always special, and I was privileged to work in the cities where they lived and spend hours and hours in their company.