The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 got off to a spectator-less start at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday. Shaheen Afridi-led Lahore Qalandars beat Marnus Labuschagne-led Hyderabad Kingsmen by 69 runs. Lahore Qalandars posted 199/6 in 20 overs in the first innings, with Fakhar Zaman (53) top-scoring. In reply, Hyderabad Kingsmen could manage only 130. Fakhar was later declared the Man of the Match.
The match also saw a bizarre incident as the ball turned pink mid-match. The exact reason for the discolouration is not known, but social media users claimed it was due to players rubbing the ball on the ground. The ball was changed after the 15th over of the Qalandars’ innings. However, it might have been due to dew as well.
Nevertheless, the PSL was trolled online for the incident.
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
During today’s PSL match, the ball turned pink as early as the second over because players kept rubbing it on their pants, causing the dye to transfer onto the ball.
Paisa Shortage League for a reason pic.twitter.com/QQf7wlc2qG
— Tejash (@Tejashyyyyy) March 26, 2026
In PSL kit quality is so bad that the match turned into a PINK BALL contest. pic.twitter.com/1pYDGFOzq0
— Bemba Tavuma (@gaandfaadtits) March 26, 2026
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 is being held without spectators due to the ongoing West Asia crisis. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has stated that the country’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has requested all citizens to “restrict their movements because of the fuel crisis,” according to ESPNcricinfo.
The tournament has also been reduced from six venues to just two, with all matches now scheduled in Lahore and Karachi. Additionally, the opening ceremony in Lahore was called off.