"It will give the team more balance" - Greame Smith suggested changes in the playing XI for Punjab Kings

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League has reached its mid-way when almost all the teams have finished their halves of the league games.

But still, as of now, it hasn't been confirmed who will be those four teams that will qualify for the top four. With 10 points each, the Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore are looking good. But the competition in the middle is very tough. Six other franchises are battling for the other two spots.

 The 41-year-old opined that Punjab Kings should pick Sri Lanka wicket-keeper batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa instead of Odean Smith. The West Indian all-rounder has struggled this season. Apart from his debut match against RCB, where he smashed 26 runs off 8 balls to see his team home, he has been unable to make any impact with his bat.

Speaking about his bowling form, he took a four-wicket haul against the Mumbai Indians, but apart from that, he has struggled with his bowling form as well. Notably, he was the main reason for the loss against the Gujarat Titans. He conceded 19 runs in his last over, with two consecutive sixes to Rahul Tewatia.

The former South African skipper believes that Rajapaksa should be included in the playing XI. The left-hander showed really good form in the couple of matches where he got the opportunities. During an interaction with Cricket.com, the 41-year-old said that Odean Smith hasn't done anything spectacular so far and the tournament is heading towards its business end, where none of the teams wants to make regular changes to the team.

He also suggested that PBKS should look at the options available within the squad. Pointing to Rajaspaksa, he said that, "And I like the option of Rajapaksa. If he can add that value of a left-hander, Punjab will be a lot more balanced."

The Sri Lankan wicket-keeper has played three matches so far and scored 83 runs at an incredible strike rate of 230.5. He was dropped ahead of the match against CSK for Jonny Bairstow. However, the left-hander has played 108 T20 matches and has 1995 runs to his name. And PBKS needs to find the right combination as soon as possible before it gets too late.