Marnus Labuschagne named captain of PSL franchise Hyderabad Kingsmen

Hyderabad Kingsmen have named Marnus Labuschagne as captain for their first-ever Pakistan Super League (PSL) season. The right-hand batter was the first player to be directly signed by the franchise and becomes the third Australian to be appointed captain of a PSL side this season after Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans named David Warner and Ashton Turner as their leaders, respectively.

Labuschagne is not an active player in the global T20 circuit. In fact, the 31-year-old will be captaining a T20 team for the first time in PSL 2026. Talking of Labuschagne's T20 records, the South Africa-born has played a solitary T20I which was a forgettable outing for him as he could muster two runs only against Pakistan in Lahore in 2022.

In other T20s, the top order batter has average numbers to show - 1381 runs from 59 matches at an average of 26.55 and a strike rate of 126.81. Labuschagne's most recent outing in the shortest format occurred in the Big Bash League 2025-26 wherein the right-hander turned up for the Brisbane Heat in three matches scoring 23 runs from two innings.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad Kingsmen are one of the two new franchises to join the PSL this season. The FKS consortium, with Fawad Sarwar as the lead figure, bought the franchise in the auction held earlier this year for PKR 1.75 billion.

The team support staff comprises of head coach Jason Gillespie, batting coach Hanif Malik, and fielding coach Grant Bradburn. Notably, both Gillespie and Bradburn have served as the head coach of the Pakistan senior men's team before.

When it comes to the roster, it boasts of veteran all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, explosive southpaws Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, and Kusal Perera and overseas T20 specialists Ottneil Baartman and Riley Meredith, among others.

The Kingsmen will begin their maiden campaign in the season opener on March 26 against the Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium.