SUNDAY TIMES WEB DESK:Left-arm bowling was at its best as fast bowler Usman Shinwari and spinner Umer Khan shared seven wickets between them to help Karachi Kings rout Multan Sultans by five wickets in HBL PSL match in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Shinwar grabbed 4-15 and Umer (3-22) as Multan never scored freely and ended on 118-7 in their 20 overs before Karachi overhauled the meagre total after much difficulty in 19.2 over to raise their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.

Multan never got going as only Hammad Azam (30-ball 29 with two boundaries and Shoaib Malik (run-a-ball 26) offered any hopes but the innings never got going and with just four points in nine games are out of the playoffs.

The win lifts Karachi to the fourth position in the six-team table topped by Quetta Gladiators. Karachi now have eight points from as many games with four wins and as many defeats.