“Never seen anything like this”: Australian star shocked as PSL ball changes colour in bizarre incident

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) witnessed a bizarre on-field incident during the match between Hyderabad Kingsmen and Lahore Qalandars on Thursday, as the white ball appeared to change colour mid-game, briefly taking on a pinkish-maroon shade that left players and officials puzzled.

The incident occurred during the chase of 100, when the match ball was seen gradually picking up colour, reportedly from the Hyderabad Kingsmen’s maroon kit. The change made it increasingly difficult for batters to track the ball, prompting concerns on the field.

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Kingsmen skipper and Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne raised the issue early in the innings and later spoke about it in detail after the match.

“I did say to the umpires after the second over, ‘What’s going on? The ball is all red’,” Labuschagne said after the game as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

“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,” he added.

Marnus Labuschagne on the change of ball color

“I did say to the umpires after the second over, What’s going on? The ball is red, it must be from the clothes or something like that. I’ve never seen anything like pic.twitter.com/VHSXouHZYx

— SheR•ALI (@Sher__Ali) March 26, 2026

Lahore Qalandars pacer Haris Rauf also offered his perspective on the incident, suggesting that multiple factors could have contributed to the ball’s change in colour.

“I am not certain who got the ball changed,” Rauf said.

“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,” he added.

After the match, Lahore Qalandars acknowledged the unusual incident in a light-hearted manner, calling it their “first pink-ball game.”

Congratulations to the opposition on winning their first pink-ball game.

— Hyderabad Kingsmen (@HHKingsmen) March 26, 2026

On the field, Lahore Qalandars posted 199/6, with key contributions from Fakhar Zaman (53), Haseebullah Khan (40) and Sikandar Raza (24). Hassan Khan (2/30) and Riley Meredith (2/39) were the standout bowlers for Kingsmen.

In reply, Hyderabad Kingsmen were bowled out for 130 in 20 overs, with Marnus Labuschagne top-scoring with 26. The Qalandars’ bowlers, Haris Rauf (2/22), Sikandar Raza (2/27), Mustafizur Rahman (1/19) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (1/28), sealed a comfortable win.