'Vaibhav should open with Rohit in 2027 World Cup, Gill should bat at No. 4'; former Indian cricketer shares his view

MUMBAI: Former India wicketkeeper-batter Farokh Engineer has backed teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for a place in India's ODI squad. Speaking to a national media outlet, he said that Vaibhav should open alongside superstar Rohit Sharma in the 2027 World Cup.

"In ODI cricket, having a left-right opening combination is always an advantage. Hence, Vaibhav should open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma. He is excellent at finding the gaps and scoring runs," Farokh Engineer said.

Farokh's comments came after Vaibhav won the Player of the Series award after scoring two half-centuries in the 3-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. He said that in order to include Vaibhav as an opener, skipper Shubman Gill should bat at No. 4. "Gill is the best batter in the current Indian team. I believe that the team will be able to maintain its balance by making him bat at No. 4," he said.

Farokh, who hailed Vaibhav as a "genius", also urged the team management not to burden him with excessive coaching. According to him, the 15-year-old does not play by the textbook and is a natural talent like Vivian Richards.