PSL 2026: Unusual ball change in opener as Hyderabad Kingsmen kit colour rubs off

During the opening match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 on March 26, Hyderabad Kingsmen’s kit led to an unusual ball change after 15 overs of their chase against defending champions Lahore Qalandars. The issue arose when the white Kookaburra ball appeared to be smeared with dye from the Kingsmen’s maroon pads, making it difficult for batters to pick.

The maroon tint on the ball was noticeable from the media box as early as the end of the powerplay. In fact, Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne had already raised concerns with the umpires as early as the second over.

"I did say to the umpires after the second over, 'What's going on? The ball is all red', Obviously, it must be from the clothes or something like that. I have not seen anything like that [before], but I have seen the ball take colour from the paint of the pads or from something off the bat. I am sure we will sort it out before our next game on Sunday,” said Labuschagne after the game as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Labuschagne confirmed that the umpires had no objections to Hyderabad Kingsmen continuing with their current kit for the rest of the tournament. Meanwhile, Lahore Qalandars’ Haris Rauf suggested that the ball might have picked up colour from the stadium seating. However, the seats at Gaddafi Stadium are green and white, making that explanation unlikely. Rauf added that if he had been batting that night, he would have requested a ball change.

"I am not certain who got the ball changed. We cannot ascertain whether it was because of the kit. It may well have been because of the seats as the ball flew out of the ground quite a few times. As long as the batters continued to see the ball clearly, they batted. They may have changed it when it got difficult to pick. Had I gone to the crease [to bat], I would have had it changed first ball,” said Rauf.

Speaking about the match, Lahore Qalandars posted 199/6, with opener Fakhar Zaman leading the way with 53 off 39 balls. For Hyderabad Kingsmen, Riley Meredith returned figures of 2/39, while Hassan Khan picked up 2/30. In response, Hyderabad Kingsmen were bowled out for 130. Labuschagne was the top scorer with 26 runs. For Lahore Qalandars, Ubaid Khan and Sikandar Raza claimed two wickets each, finishing with figures of 2/27, while Rauf also impressed with 2/22. Lahore Qalandars won the match by 69 runs.