Hyderabad Kingsmen’s PSL debut was never likely to be straightforward, yet few expected their clothing to steal the spotlight. Midway through their chase against Lahore Qalandars in Thursday’s tournament opener, the umpires quietly asked for a new Kookaburra. The original white ball had picked up a noticeable maroon stain, thought to be coming from the Kingsmen’s deeply coloured pads and trousers, and some batters said it was getting tricky to pick from 22 yards.
The discolouration was obvious long before the change. From the media box you could see the pink tinge as early as the end of the powerplay. Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne had spotted it almost immediately. “I did say to the umpires after the second over, ‘What’s going on? The ball is all red’,” he recalled post-match. “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.”
Match officials were happy for the Kingsmen to carry on wearing the kit for the rest of the competition, provided a practical solution—likely a spare white ball at hand—remained in place. No formal complaint came from the Qalandars camp, even if quick bowler Haris Rauf did wonder where the colour was coming from. “We cannot ascertain whether it was because of the kit,” he said. “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.”
The suggestion that the Gaddafi Stadium seating had left crimson marks was quickly dismissed—those seats are green and white—but Rauf’s broader point stood. A batter facing 140kph under lights wants no excuses, least of all an oddly coloured projectile hurtling towards middle stump.
On the field, Qalandars won without fuss, sealing a 69-run victory that underlined why they arrived as defending champions. Newly formed Hyderabad never seriously threatened the target, slipping to 138 all out. Still, their social-media team found a light-hearted angle, congratulating Lahore on X for “winning their first pink-ball game”.
Whether the Kingsmen switch to a lighter shade before Sunday remains to be seen. The franchise bought the maroon kit months ago and players appear fond of it. Yet as every white-ball specialist knows, visibility at night is non-negotiable. The PSL’s competition committee may have an informal word, or just keep fresh balls in the umpire’s pouch. Either way, everyone will be watching—very closely—the next time Hyderabad take the field.
