Rizwan piles Super League misery on Babar

Defending champions Multan Sultans, inspired by Mohammad Rizwan, have kept Karachi Kings searching for their maiden victory in this season's Pakistan Super League by registering a thumping seven-wicket win against Babar Azam's team.

Multan now have 14 points from eight games after Wednesday's win and are assured of finishing among the top two in the play-offs with two more league games still to play.

The 2020 champions Karachi are yet to get their first points, losing all five games at home and now three in a row in the Lahore leg of the event.

Multan once again showed the depth of their batting, reaching their target on 3-175 with three balls to spare, much to the dismay of Babar who will be leading Pakistan in the next month's three-Test home series against Australia.

"We lost this game due to poor overs and poor fielding as well," Babar said.

"If the team does well, the form comes back, but we have to give 100% and come back."

Needing 29 off the last two overs, Karachi had a chance to break their seven-match losing streak, but Khushdil Shah (21 off nine balls) smacked England fast bowler Chris Jordan for two sixes and a four in a 20-run over to seal the game for Multan.

Captain Rizwan (76) and Shan Masood (45) had earlier got Multan off to a flyer with a century stand before Shah's power-hitting denied Karachi.

Karachi's inability to bowl well in the death overs throughout the tournament continued as fast bowler Jordan finished with 1-50 and Umaid Asif went for 0-41.

Earlier, Babar's own lean patch in the event continued as he was dismissed for just two but still Karachi managed to record their highest total of 6-174 while batting first this season.

Joe Clarke top-scored with 40 and shared a 72-run second wicket-stand