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Yes, that happened.
Marnus Labuschagne hopes the issue will be sorted (Screengrab/X/YouTube)
Open that treasured drawer of all things bizarre and file this one right at the top.
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) got underway on Thursday evening, generating plenty of buzz, but not for the right reasons.
As Lahore Qalandars took on Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium, the white ball took a strange turn, gradually changing colour and picking up a reddish hue after just a couple of overs.
Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne was left baffled, turning to the umpire to ask, “What’s going on?”
As it turned out, there was nothing sinister behind the incident. It was later revealed that dye from the Kingsmen’s maroon jerseys may have transferred onto the ball while players were polishing it.
Peak Pakistan Super League standards During the very first match of PSL 11, the ball literally turned pink every time Hyderabad Kingsmen players rubbed it on their kit.
Did they get knockoff kits instead of authentic ones?
International league or gully-level experiment? pic.twitter.com/Beq5zhmSkb
— Brutal Truth (@sarkarstix) March 26, 2026
“I did say to the umpires after the second over, ‘What’s going on? The ball is red,’” Labuschagne told reporters. “It must be from the clothes or something like that. I haven’t seen anything like it before.”
“I’ve seen instances where something from a bat transfers onto the ball, or when it hits the pad and picks up some paint. But I’ve never seen it happen because of clothing. I’m sure they’ll sort it out in the next few games,” he added.
Meanwhile, PSL has introduced a new regulation which allows teams to submit two team sheets each prior to the toss with the match referee and then finalise one after the toss.
In subcontinent, due to the dew factor, toss can become the decisive factor during night-games. With the ball getting wet, it gets difficult to grip for the bowlers handing the batting team an advantage. The new rule has been introduced to level the playing field.
March 27, 2026, 08:00 IST
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