"Vaibhav Arora is a hit-and-miss kind of bowler for PBKS" - Sanjay Manjrekar

Ex-India player Sanjay Manjrekar does not want the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to rely too much on rookie pacer Vaibhav Arora. The youngster has had some success in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL 2022), taking three wickets so far. However, Manjrekar labeled him as a hit-and-miss type of bowler.

He stated that the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh are the two most reliable bowlers in the IPL team's lineup.

Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo:

"Vaibhav Arora is a hit-and-miss kind of bowler for PBKS. It is like a gamble. But Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh are their reliable bowlers. Odean Smith hasn't bowled well and he isn't getting a lot of overs as well. They should look to be less dependent on Arora and rather focus more on their spin department."

Punjab were defeated by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by seven wickets in their previous IPL 2022 match. According to the IPL 2022 schedule, they will next be in action on Wednesday (April 20) at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai against the Delhi Capitals (DC).

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"PBKS can bring Bhanuka Rajapaksa back in place of Odean Smith" - Sanjay Manjrekar

The 56-year-old further stated that Punjab should continue to back batter Jonny Bairstow despite his recent underwhelming outings. He suggested that PBKS could look to bring in the in-form Bhanuka Rajapaksa in place of Odean Smith for their forthcoming fixture against DC.

Apart from the aforementioned change, he feels that the Mayank Agarwal-led side should play Harpreet Brar to achieve more balance. He added:

"Jonny Bairstow is a big player and has a good track record. But I feel he should get just one more chance now because Bhanuka Rajapaksa has shown good form. They could also bring Rajapaksa back in place of Odean Smith. They can add an Indian spinner like Harpreet Brar."

PBKS have three wins and as many losses to their name from six matches so far in IPL 2022. They are currently placed seventh in the IPL standings at this juncture.