Ball Turns Pink as Qalandars Crush Kingsmen in PSL Opener
News Desk
Islamabad: The opening match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) delivered both a commanding performance and an unusual controversy, as Lahore Qalandars cruised to a 69-run victory over debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium.
While the defending champions made a strong statement on the field, much of the post-match discussion centered on a rare incident in which the match ball reportedly changed colour from white to pink during the Kingsmen’s innings, an occurrence players said they had never witnessed before.
Marnus Labuschagne, who top-scored for Kingsmen, raised concerns with umpires early in the chase, pointing out the unusual discoloration. He later suggested it may have been caused by dye from players’ red jerseys transferring onto the ball, adding that such an incident was unprecedented in his experience.
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On the cricketing front, Lahore Qalandars delivered a clinical all-round display. An explosive opening stand between Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Naeem laid the foundation, with Fakhar smashing 53 off just 29 balls and reaching the milestone of 3000 PSL runs—only the second player to do so.
Despite a brief middle-order collapse, Haseebullah Khan steadied the innings with an unbeaten 40, while late cameos from Sikandar Raza and skipper Shaheen Afridi pushed the total to a formidable 199 for 6.
In reply, Hyderabad Kingsmen struggled to build momentum after losing early wickets. Their batting lineup faltered under sustained pressure, with only Labuschagne offering brief resistance with 26 runs. The rest of the order failed to cope with Lahore’s disciplined bowling attack.
Raza, Haris Rauf and Ubaid Shah led the charge with the ball, sharing key wickets to bundle Kingsmen out for 130 and seal a comprehensive victory.
The result gives Lahore Qalandars a dominant start to their title defence, though the unusual ball incident is likely to prompt further scrutiny from match officials ahead of upcoming fixtures.
