The opening match of the Pakistan Super League's 2026 edition got off to an unexpected start as title holders Lahore Qalandars defeated Hyderabad Kingsmen in Lahore on Thursday.
This year's PSL had an unusual build-up as the Pakistan board announced extreme measures to account for the fuel crisis brought upon by the Iran conflict.
Matches in the PSL are to be held behind closed doors and at just two venues - Lahore and Karachi - to ensure optimum utilisation of resources as Pakistan, along with many countries in Asia and other parts of the world, brought in strict austerity measures.
On Thursday, defending PSL champions Lahore faced new franchise Hyderabad at home, albeit in front of empty stands.
Lahore batted first and posted a respectable score of 199-6, with openers Fakhar Zaman (53) and Mohammad Naeem (30) adding 84 for the first wicket inside nine overs.
However, the highlight of the game was the match ball which changed its colour, leaving fans bewildered.
As Hyderabad bowled in the first innings, the white ball started to turn pink as the overs went by.
The colour change became clear as the spinners came in during the middle overs, with Saim Ayub and captain Marnus Labuschange bowling with a ball that was barely white.
By the time fast bowler Riley Meredith was brought back into the attack after 15 overs, the umpires changed the ball and Hyderabad bowled with an older but all white ball.
Limited-overs cricket is played with a white ball while red and pink balls are used in Test cricket.
Former Multan Sultans franchise owner Ali Tareen noted that the ball probably changed colour because the Kingsmen were wearing a maroon kit and the white ball turned pink as the players rubbed the ball on it to shine it.
The ball, however, did not change colour as Hyderabad went about chasing the 200-run target.
Lahore bowlers were all over Hyderabad in the powerplay, snaring three wickets before the scoreboard reached 50.
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza then turned up the pressure with his spin bowling, picking up 2-27 to derail Hyderabad's innings.
The Kingsmen were bowled out for 130 off the final ball of the match to lose comfortably by 69 runs at the Qaddafi Stadium.
