Lahore
The opening match of the 2026 Pakistan Super League took a surreal turn at Gaddafi Stadium when a white ball mysteriously turned pink. Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne was left baffled as the maroon dye from the Hyderabad Kingsmen’s jerseys began bleeding onto the match ball. What started as a standard T20 game quickly looked like an accidental “pink-ball” Test match.
The bizarre transformation occurred because players followed the routine practice of polishing the ball against their kits to maintain its shine. However, the pigment from the Kingsmen’s new uniforms proved unstable, transferring deep red stains onto the white leather. By the second over, Labuschagne lodged a formal complaint with the umpires, noting that the ball had transitioned from white to a distinct shade of red.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Labuschagne told reporters after the game. He noted that while bats or pads sometimes leave marks, clothing dye ruining a ball is unheard of in professional cricket. Despite the technical glitch, the Lahore Qalandars secured the victory, later prompting the Kingsmen to jokingly congratulate their rivals on winning the league’s first-ever “pink-ball” game on social media.
The incident has caused significant embarrassment for the league. Fans took to X to criticize the franchise owners, demanding higher-quality kits to avoid further international humiliation. While the “pink-ball T20” provided a viral moment for spectators, officials now face pressure to fix the faulty uniforms before the next round of matches begins.