I made my debut in the Ranji Trophy for Delhi in a quarter final against Karnataka in 1973-74. I had just led the North Zone under-22 team to glory and was studying for my exams when I got a call on the landline one morning.

“Who is it,” I yelled as I didn’t wish to be disturbed having missed a whole lot of classes because of cricket. “Bishan Singh Bedi,” a friend who took the call at the hostel replied. I thought someone was playing a prank and didn’t respond.

An hour later the phone rang again and I was told the same person had called. This time I wanted to check it out myself and took the call. “Piggs you got to come,” the assuring Bishan told me.

I was taken by surprise and was thinking what’s happening? However, I told him that my exams were only a fortnight away and I couldn’t make it this time. But Bishan wouldn’t budge.

“You can’t sit out of the team... there’s no No. 3,” the Delhi captain pleaded. I couldn’t refuse but told him I would be there at practice only if I was assured of a place in the XI. He kept his word but I was dismissed for a duck in my debut innings.

We lost the match to a strong Karnataka team which included the likes of Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Erapalli Prasanna. Bishan made sure that I was there in the team next season too.

Bishan was my guru and almost a father figure who was always there to offer you a helping hand. He inspired a generation and imbibed values which always upheld the spirit of cricket.

The world knew him as an exponent of spin bowling but he was ruthlessly honest in every sphere of his life and always forthright in his views which never allowed him to take a step back. He spoke what he believed, which often made him controversial,
but he never buckled under pressure.

I remember an incident playing a Ranji Trophy match under Bishan’s leadership against Services. They were struggling but we couldn’t get one of their lower-order batters out. At one stage, we appealed for a catch and the umpire upheld it.

But Bishan was furious. He screamed at us on the ground itself, yelling, “why did you appeal for that when you knew the batter wasn’t out?” Bishan called back the batter and only then did he manage to regain his cool.

That incident left an indelible mark on me about his personality and values. He was a larger-than-life character who could laugh his heart out. If Bishan was at a party you could sense it since his unbridled laughter could be heard from almost a kilometre away! He was always like that. He loved life, played hard and partied hard.

Later in life, I had differences with him but that never came in the way of me loving and respecting him. He had a towering personality and you could learn a lot from him as a sportsperson.

Since he became India captain, he started this tradition of sharing a few moments in the rival camp at the end of a Test. He would walk over to the Australian dressing room and share a beer after the match. It meant what happened on the ground stayed there and no ill feelings were carried over.

It was because of his inspirational presence that most of the players all over the world loved and admired him. He was special and it was as if he was born to be part of the cricketing world.

I remember when he took up the coaching role for Punjab following repeated requests from IS Bindra.

For a year or two he managed to not pay heed to the repeated pleas, saying he didn’t want to leave Delhi.

But ultimately when he agreed he told Mr Bindra that he wouldn’t tolerate any interference and would have the last word in matters related to the team.

He was ruthless when it came to training. On the first day, he found some 150 boys had turned up for practice. So he asked them to run some 50 rounds of the field. Only a few could manage 25 rounds.

The number of players dropped to 60 the second day and Bishan made them run again. No nets, no catching or fielding drills, only running. Only 40 turned up on the third and Bishan repeated the session.

Finally, he ordered nets to be put up when the total players were around 30. He was a hard taskmaster and would spare none.

The hard work paid off as Punjab won the Ranji Trophy in 1992-93. They became a force in domestic cricket and Bishan deserved a bulk of the credit.

I last spoke to Bishan last month and had promised him that I would meet him next month.

He wished to meet my wife and I agreed. That will never happen but I have promised Anju, his lovely wife, that I will keep my promise.

Bishan was a character you always had to love and admire. Sadly, there will never be another like him again. Rest in peace my friend.

As told to Indranil Majumdar