gave Pakistan Super League (PSL) had a controversial start on its opening day when an incident saw the regular white ball turn pink due to color transfer from Hyderabad Kingsmen’s jerseys during the first match of the season. problem, first noted as an occurrence by Marnus Leboschgen Which quickly attracted attention on social media. The PSL started its 2026 season on March 26, but the opening game itself was marred by controversy. The clash between the Lahore Qalandars and the Hyderabad Kingsmen at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore unexpectedly turned into what the fans described as a ‘pink ball contest’. The Hyderabad Kingsmen captain warned the umpires that the color of the ball was changing, explaining that the color of his team’s jerseys was rubbing off on the white ball, gradually turning pink and later reddish.“I said to the umpires after the second over, ‘What’s going on? The ball is red.’ It should be made of cloth or something similar. I’ve never seen anything like this before,” a stunned Labuschagne told reporters at the post-match press conference.“I’ve seen occasions when something on the bat hits the ball, or when it hits the pad and takes a bit of paint off. But I’ve never seen that happen with the outfit. I’m sure they’ll fix it in the next few matches.”After the end of the match Hyderabad Kingsmen posted an offensive post on X after their poorly cut jerseys turned the match into a ‘pink ball contest’. Cricketers often use their jersey or a towel to polish the ball to maintain its shine, which helps bowlers generate swing. However, the incident has raised serious concerns, with many calling it an embarrassment for the PSL. Questions are being asked as to how such poor quality kits were approved, which can transfer the color of the jersey onto the match ball. The Australian star expressed hope that the franchise owners would resolve the issue soon.
Match summary
Lahore Qalandars started their PSL 2026 campaign by defeating Hyderabad Kingsmen by 69 runs. Batting first, Lahore scored 4/199 thanks to Fakhar Zaman’s 53 and Haseebullah Khan’s unbeaten 40. In reply, Hyderabad team was bundled out for 130 runs, Obaid Shah, Sikandar Raza and Haris Rauf took two wickets each.The tournament is being played behind closed doors due to the crisis in West Asia and is limited to Lahore and Karachi only. PSL 2026 has also been affected by the loss of several foreign players, many of whom have joined IPL teams as substitutes.
