Must-win match as Multan Sultans face Karachi Kings at Abu Dhabi

A six-wicket defeat at the hands of Quetta Gladiators leaves Multan at the foot of the table on four points, with just two victories from eight contests

The Multan Sultans head into their ninth match of the Pakistan Super League - against fifth-placed Karachi Kings - knowing they must win their final two games to have even a slither of a hope of extending their season beyond the group stage.

A six-wicket defeat at the hands of Quetta Gladiators leaves Multan at the foot of the table on four points, with just two victories from eight contests.

Johnson Charles - who continues to produce valuable contributions with the bat - hit 46 from 36  in that defeat, but the Sultans could only muster 121 from their 20 overs. A target which was easily achieved by Quetta.

Alongside Charles, Multan have the tournament’s leading run-scorer in Shoaib Malik and James Vince, who showed his class with 84 off 41 against Lahore Qalandars. The batting is there, the Sultans just need that trio to click in the same innings.

Six! 7.5 - M Nawaz to J Charles

Watch ball by ball highlights at:https://t.co/9qzJ0DeBkW#MSvQG #HBLPSL #PSL2019 @_cricingif pic.twitter.com/1Fgjfws0GS

— Multan Sultans (@MultanSultans) March 1, 2019

^{Johnson Charles has been consistent with the bat for Multan}

The Sultans faced Karachi in their opening game of the tournament, where a record partnership between Babar Azam and Liam Livingstone set up a seven-run victory for the Kings in Dubai.

The Kings - who have recorded three wins from seven - come into the match boosted by an impressive five-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars in their last outing.

A win for Imad Wasim's team in Abu Dhabi would put Karachi very much back in playoff contention.

It has been a testing time for the Sultans and they can do no more than concentrate on winning their final two games, and hope on other results to go their way if they are to be in any with a chance of finishing in the top four.