The legendary Sunil Gavaskar is in awe of Jasprit Bumrah’s leadership qualities and reckons the peerless fast bowler will succeed Rohit Sharma as the next captain of the Indian team following his extraordinary display in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Bumrah recently produced one of the best-ever bowling performances by an overseas pacer in Australia and picked 32 wickets over five Tests.

He was also captain during India’s only victory in the series, helping the visitors to a convincing win at the Optus Stadium in Perth in the opener.

“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,” Gavaskar aired his views on Channel 7.

The batting great added, “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 spearheading the Indian pace attack for some years now and his guidance has helped the likes of Mohammed Siraj to grow as a fast bowler.

“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.”

Bumrah took his wickets at an incredible average of 13.06 and an even better strike rate of 28.37 before pulling up injured midway through Australia’s first innings at the SCG in the final Test.

In Bumrah’s absence, the home team chased down 162 on the third day to win the series 3-1.

The lead pacer was handed the captaincy in the final Test after the out-of-form Rohit Sharma “opted out” but a back spasm prevented Bumrah from bowling on the crucial third day.

Bumrah destroyed Australia in Perth with eight wickets, grabbed six wickets in the first innings at the Gabba, and nearly turned the Boxing Day Test on its head with his exploits on the fourth afternoon at MCG.

In the series decider at SCG, Bumrah sent back Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne early in Australia’s first innings but could only bowl one over after lunch on the second day when the game was evenly poised.

The Indian pacer was named the Player of the Series for his unforgettable performance.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has relocated February’s tri-nation One-Day International (ODI) series with New Zealand and South Africa from Multan to Lahore and Karachi, two cities set to host the Champions Trophy later in the month.

The PCB said the move was due to the advanced stage of preparations at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and Karachi’s National Stadium, which will host six of the 12 Champions Trophy group stage matches.

Lahore will also host one semi-final as well as the final provided India, who are playing all their matches in Dubai following an agreement that neither India nor Pakistan will visit each other’s countries for ICC tournament matches, do not qualify.

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will also host three matches of the eight-team tournament.

The PCB is upgrading the facilities at all three venues in the country as Pakistan prepares to host an ICC tournament for the first time since 1996, when they co-hosted the ODI World Cup.

The tri-series will be played from February 8-14, while the Champions Trophy will kick off on Feb. 19 in Karachi, with defending champions Pakistan playing New Zealand.

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has termed the incomparable Jasprit Bumrah the greatest all-format fast bowler after his Player-of-the-Series performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Bumrah produced one of the best-ever bowling performances by an overseas pacer in Australia and picked up 32 wickets over five Tests.

“The thing I’ve thought about Bumrah, after the series finished and I was sitting and thinking about his performances, I actually think he’s the best fast bowler ever across all three formats,” Clarke told ESPN.

“I know a lot of great fast bowlers, Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath, didn’t get to play T20 cricket, so I’m not talking about those guys. But in regards to anyone who has played all three formats, I think he might be the best ever.

“He’s actually that good in any conditions, that’s what makes him great; any conditions, any format, this guy’s a freak.”

The former Australia captain believed that India could have won the series-deciding Sydney Test had Bumrah bowled in Australia’s second innings and some more runs under their belt.

Bumrah had suffered an injury on the second day of the match at SCG and was immediately taken to the hospital for a scan.

The Indian pace spearhead returned to bat the following morning but he did not bowl in Australia’s second innings because of a back spasm as the hosts successfully chased down a target of 162 with six wickets in hand to win the series 3-1.

“I reckon India were probably 20 runs short (in Sydney),” Clarke said.

“I reckon a 180 lead, with Bumrah in the team, I think India are home. I think Bumrah is that good… he’s so much better than the other bowlers they had in the team.”

Bumrah was in a league of his own as his 32 wickets came at an incredible average of 13.06 and a strike rate of 28.3.

Mohammed Siraj was the next highest wicket-taker among Indian pacers with 20 scalps at 31.15.