NEW DELHI: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has found itself at the centre of yet another strange controversy this season after the match ball changed shade during a Karachi Kings game. In what has been described as a repeat of an earlier incident, dye from players’ clothing reportedly rubbed onto the white ball, leaving it reddish as the contest progressed.
This is the second time such a colour shift has been reported in PSL 2026. The first case came in the tournament’s opener between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen at the Gaddafi Stadium, when the ball reportedly turned pink as a result of colour transfer from the jerseys. That earlier episode left players and officials visibly perplexed, and it quickly became a talking point across the league.
Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne addressed the matter after that match, saying he had spoken to the umpires once the odd change was noticed. “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 haven’t seen anything like this before,” he remarked. Labuschagne also compared it to more familiar ball-marking issues: “I’ve seen occasions where something on a bat comes onto the ball, or when it hits the pad and takes a bit of paint off. But I’ve never seen this happen with clothing. I’m sure they’ll sort it out in the next few games.”
While the league continued to grapple with the off-field oddity of the colour-changing ball, Karachi Kings delivered a key on-field result. They beat Lahore Qalandars by five wickets in a chase that kept their playoff chances alive.
In the run chase, Karachi successfully reached the target of 200 with eight balls remaining. Captain David Warner played the anchor role, finishing unbeaten on 63, while Khushdil Shah provided the finishing burst, smashing 44 off just 14 deliveries to push the chase over the line.
Earlier, Lahore Qalandars had built momentum through a strong top order display, posting 199/5. Abdullah Shafique struck 62 and Fakhar Zaman contributed 61, with the pair combining for a 110-run stand that set up the competitive total.
Now, with the ball-colour concern resurfacing, fresh questions are being raised about kit quality and match conditions, adding another unusual twist to PSL 2026.
