PSL 2026: Marnus Labuschagne to lead Hyderabad Kingsmen

Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne has been named captain of the Hyderabad Kingsmen side ahead of the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL) season. The franchise is one of the two new sides to feature in the 2026 edition.

Labuschagne comes as a left field choice to lead Hyderabad Kingsmen in their debut PSL season. The 34-year-old has featured in just one T20I back in 2022 and has played just four Big Bash League games in the past two seasons, all for the Brisbane Heat. The right-hander has also never captained in a T20 game at a professional level.

Despite his lacklustre record in recent T20s, Labuschagne has played 59 times in the shortest format, having scored 1,381 runs and taken 40 wickets along the way. Some of his best performances in T20s have come for Glamorgan in the Blast, including his highest score of 93 in 2021 and his best bowling figures of 5 for 11 in 2024. 

The Hyderabad Kingsmen, however, lack players with captaincy pedigree in their ranks. Other notable players in their squad include the Australian duo of Riley Meredith and Glenn Maxwell along with Pakistan’s Saim Ayub and Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera. 

Along with Meredith and Maxwell, skipper Labuschagne will be joined by another Australian in the form of former fast bowler Jason Gillespie, who joins the new outfit as the head coach. The 50-year-old was previously the head coach of Pakistan Test team

It is worth mentioning that three out of the eight teams at the 2026 PSL are being captained by an Australian player, as apart from Labuschagne, David Warner will continue to lead Karachi Kings while Aston Turner will captain Multan Sultans. 

Hyderabad Kingsmen are set to feature in the first game of the new PSL season, as they take on the defending champions Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday, March 26.