Sunil Gavaskar backs Jasprit Bumrah as future India captain

The legendary Sunil Gavaskar has expressed great admiration for Jasprit Bumrah's leadership qualities, asserting that the exceptional fast bowler is poised to succeed Rohit Sharma as the next captain of the Indian cricket team.

Gavaskar's praise stems from Bumrah's remarkable performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he left a lasting impression.

Bumrah’s outstanding contribution included one of the finest bowling performances by an overseas pacer in Australia, taking an impressive 32 wickets across five Tests. He also captained India during their only victory in the series, guiding the team to a dominant win at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

Gavaskar, speaking on Channel 7, said, "He could be the next man. I think he will be the next man. Because he leads from the front, he has got a very good air about him, the air of a leader but not somebody who is going to pressure on you."

The batting legend further elaborated, "Sometimes, you have captains who put a lot of pressure on you. With Bumrah you can see that, he expects the others to do what their job is, why they are in the national team, but it doesn't seem to pressurise anybody."

Bumrah has been the spearhead of the Indian pace attack for several years, and his leadership has been instrumental in the development of fast bowlers like Mohammed Siraj.

Gavaskar added, "With the fast bowlers, he has been absolutely brilliant, standing at mid-off, mid-on and every time just being at hand to tell them. I think he was absolutely brilliant and I won’t be surprised if he takes over very soon."

During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah averaged an outstanding 13.06 with a strike rate of 28.37 before injury forced him to pull up midway through Australia’s first innings in the final Test.

Despite this setback, he had already delivered significant performances, including a match-winning eight-wicket haul in Perth, six wickets in the first innings at the Gabba, and a pivotal spell in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

In the series decider at the SCG, Bumrah struck early, dismissing Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, but could only bowl one over after lunch on the second day due to injury.

Despite his limited participation in the final Test, Bumrah was named the Player of the Series, a fitting recognition for his unforgettable contribution to India's success.