Sooryavanshi made 50, 20 and 81 in three T20Is against Zimbabwe.
The other half of the current opening duo with Rohit, captain Shubman Gill, can bat at No. 4, providing the middle order additional muscle, according to Engineer, who played 46 Tests and 5 ODIs for India.
“The ideal situation is Shubman Gill and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Gill is a class player. Gill, I think, is the best batsman in the team now. So, Gill should come at four. Gill is not a guy who lifts the ball. So, a left-right combination would be ideal in ODIs. So, if Rohit is playing, and I think he should be playing, let him open with Sooryavanshi.
A batsman like him (Sooryavanshi) is much better at opening because he finds bigger gaps in the field. Virat Kohli can come third. Gill can come fourth, and then we've got a solid batting line-up,” the engineer told PTI.
In the recently finished three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, Sooryavanshi scored 151 runs with two fifties to win Player of the Series. The 15-year-old had performed well enough, according to the Engineer, to make his debut for India in the 50-over format.
“This is probably the right time to draft Sooryavanshi into India's ODI side. I don't know why people distinguish so much between ODI and T20 because for me, a half-volley is a half-volley. He's been getting runs, and he's got the confidence to open the innings. He'll win more matches for you than lose you. When he gives a start like that, the other players can have time to consolidate the innings and put on a big score,” Engineer noted.
The 88-year-old ex-India keeper-batter stated that Indian team management should persevere with Sooryavanshi, as he is a big quality match-winner for India.
“Anything that is slightly short of length, in Suryavanshi's curve, is going to go for a six. He learned from his mistakes; he has learned to curb himself. But don't try to over-coach him. He's not from the MCC book of manuals, which is completely out of date. He's a genius. Nor was Viv Richards. Viv was the best batsman I've ever seen play. But persevere with Sooryavanshi. He'll be a tremendous asset for India,” he said.
Sooryavanshi has played 13 List-A games, scoring 564 runs with one century and two fifties, at an average of 43.38, a strike rate of 176.80, and a best score of 190. He also scored 175 for India U19 in the final of the ICC U19 World Cup 2025 against England.
(PTI inputs)