‘Let Vaibhav Sooryavanshi open with Rohit Sharma’: Former cricketer wants Shubman Gill to bat at No.4

Rohit Sharma and Abhishek Sharma (Image Agency) Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Farokh Engineer believes teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has done enough to earn an ODI call-up and wants the 15-year-old to open alongside Rohit Sharma ahead of the 2027 World Cup. The engineer feels that India should change the batting order by moving Shubman Gill to No.4, allowing Sooryavanshi to partner Rohit at the top, while Virat Kohli will be at No.3. “The ideal situation is Shubman Gill and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Gill is a first-class player. Gill, I think, is the best batsman in the team now. So Gill should come at four,” Engineer told PTI. The former India star said the combination of right-handed Rohit and left-handed Sooryavanshi would provide an ideal balance in ODI cricket. “Gill is not a lift-the-ball guy. So a left-right combination would be ideal in ODIs. So if Rohit plays, and I think he should, let Sooryavanshi open.” “A batsman like him (Sooryavanshi) is much better at opening because he finds bigger gaps in the field. Virat Kohli can be third. Gill can be fourth and then we have a solid batting line-up,” he said. The engineer’s remarks come after Sooryavanshi enjoyed a breakthrough T20I series against Zimbabwe. The youngster finished as the leading run-scorer with 151 runs, including two half-centuries, and was named player of the series as India finished with a clean sheet of 3–0. According to Engineer, these feats are enough to quickly place the teenager in India’s post-50 plans. “It’s probably the right time to stretch Sooryavanshi into the Indian ODI side. I don’t know why people make such a distinction between ODIs and T20s because for me half volley is half volley. He gets runs and has the confidence to open the innings.” “He’ll win more games for you than he’ll lose you. When he starts like that, other players can have time to consolidate their innings and put up big scores,” Engineer noted. While Sooryavanshi struggled during India’s T20I tour of England earlier this month, the Zimbabwe series showcased his ability to adapt. In the T20I final on the slow surface of Harare, he produced a measured 81 off 49 balls after a quick half-century in the series opener. The teenager also showed areas that still require improvement, including mastery of short-run bowling, quick adaptation to overseas conditions and finesse in stroke selection. However, Engineer urged India not to overwhelm the youngster with technical changes and insisted that his natural game is what makes him special. “Anything a little short in Sooryavanshi’s curve will be a six. He’s learned from his mistakes, he’s learned to tame himself. But don’t try to overtrain him. He’s not from the MCC playbook, which is completely out of date.” “He is a genius. Neither is Viv Richards. Viv was the best batsman I have ever seen play. But hang on Sooryavanshi. He will be a tremendous asset to India,” he said. With the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon, Engineer believes Sooryavanshi’s fearless attitude and match-winning ability make him a player India should invest in now and not wait for the future.