During the Pakistan Super League (PSL) opener against Lahore Qalandars, the white ball used by Hyderabad Kingsmen became smeared with colour from the team's maroon kit, resulting in an unusual change to a maroon-ish hue.
The incident occurred on March 26, 2026, while Kingsmen were chasing 100 runs against Lahore. The ball became discoloured during the 15th over after picking up colour from the players' pads, making it difficult for batters to track deliveries accurately. Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne raised the issue with umpires in the second over, noting the ball's altered appearance, which was also visible to press personnel by the end of the powerplay.
Despite the ball's condition, the chase continued until the 15th over when the ball was finally replaced. Labuschagne commented after the match, “I did say to the umpires after the second over, ‘What’s going on? The ball is all red.'” He added, “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.” The captain confirmed that the umpires had no objection to the Kingsmen continuing to use the same kit for the remainder of the tournament.
Lahore Qalandars pacer Haris Rauf suggested the ball might have acquired colour from the stands, which featured a green and white scheme. Speaking after the game, Rauf said, “I am not certain who got the ball changed. 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.”
After the match, Hyderabad Kingsmen congratulated Lahore Qalandars on “winning their first pink-ball game.” Lahore opted to bat first, with notable contributions from Fakhar Zaman (53 runs off 39 balls, including 10 fours), Haseebullah Khan (40 runs off 28 balls, with three fours and a six), and Sikandar Raza (24 runs off 10 balls, including two fours and two sixes). Lahore finished on 199/6 in 20 overs. Hassan Khan (2/30) and Riley Meredith (2/39) were the best performers with the ball for Hyderabad.
In response, Hyderabad Kingsmen were bowled out for 130 in 20 overs, with Labuschagne top-scoring by making 26 runs off 22 balls. Haris Rauf (2/22), Sikandar Raza (2/27), Mustafizur Rahman (1/19), and Shaheen Shah Afridi (1/28) led the attack for Lahore.