Cricket has evolved a lot over the years. It is a game of skill and strategy as players of two teams strive hard to win the match. With modern-day cricket tilting towards batters a lot, the bowlers have come up with variations to stay relevant in the sport.
As they say, there is no substitute for pace. A fast bowler steaming in and hurrying the batters with their pace or destroying the stumps is a sight to behold even today in cricket.
The fastest bowlers certainly make the cricket match exciting for the viewers to watch. The Player needs to be supremely fit and skilful to bowl at a high pace on a consistent basis. Right then, who is the fastest bowler in the world?
Fastest Bowler in the World
Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar is the fastest bowler in the world. He bowled one of the deliveries that clocked at 161.3 kph (100.23 mph) in the match against England during the 50-over World Cup that was played in South Africa. He became the first bowler in the world to officially break the 100 mph barrier more than two decades ago, and the record is yet to be broken.
Akhtar, famously known as Rawalpindi Express, was always known for his excellent pace and accuracy right through his career. His aggression also kept the opposition batters on their toes all the time. He played 46 Tests, 163 ODIs and 15 T20Is for Pakistan during his international career that spanned for more than a decade and picked up a total of 444 wickets.
Having said that, injuries cut short a few years of Akhtar’s career. That said, no bowler has been able to take away the tag of the ‘fastest bowler in the world’ from him yet.
Top 10 Fastest Bowlers in the World
The likes of Brett Lee, Allan Donald, Waqar Younis, and Wasim Akram troubled the best of the batters with their pace and accuracy in the 20th century. However, in the 21st century, the likes of Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah are among the quickest. Shoaib Akhtar remains one of the fastest bowlers in the world in the 21st century. A lot of these bowlers have kept the batters on tenterhooks with their pace and variations all the time.
Here’s the list of 10 bowlers with the fastest deliveries in international cricket:
| Rank | Bowler (Country) | Ball Speed (km/h) | Against | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan) | 161.3 (100.2 mph) | England | 2003 |
| 2 | Shaun Tait (Australia) | 161.1 (100.1 mph) | England | 2010 |
| 3 | Brett Lee (Australia) | 161.1 (100.1 mph) | New Zealand | 2005 |
| 4 | Jeffrey Thomson (Australia) | 160.6 (99.8 mph) | West Indies | 1975 |
| 5 | Mitchell Starc (Australia) | 160.4 (99.7 mph) | New Zealand | 2015 |
| 6 | Andy Roberts (West Indies) | 159.5 (99.1 mph) | Australia | 1975 |
| 7 | Fidel Edwards (West Indies) | 157.7 (97.9 mph) | South Africa | 2003 |
| 8 | Mitchell Johnson (Australia) | 156.8 (97.4 mph) | England | 2013 |
| 9 | Mohammad Sami (Pakistan) | 156.4 (97.1 mph) | Zimbabwe | 2003 |
| 10 | Shane Bond (New Zealand) | 156.4 (97.1 mph) | India | 2003 |
Shaun Tait
Australia pacer Shaun Tait came closest to breaking Shoaib Akhtar’s record of fastest delivery in 2010. One of his deliveries against England clocked at 161.1 km/h as he became the second-fastest bowler. However, due to injuries, he could only play 3 Tests, 35 ODIs, and 21 T20Is for Australia, accounting for 95 scalps at the highest level.
Brett Lee
In fact, before Tait, Brett Lee almost broke Akhtar’s record to become the fastest bowler in the world of all time. But even he fell short of delivering a ball that clocked at 161.1 mph (100.1 mph). He picked up a total of 718 wickets for Australia at the international level in 322 matches.
Jeffrey Thomson
Another Australian fast bowler is on this list and he is Jeff Thomson. In 1975, the legendary cricketer bowled 160.6 kmph delivery against the West Indies to go into the history books as the fastest bowler at the time. He picked up 255 wickets after playing for his country in 51 Tests and 50 ODIs.
Mitchell Starc
Australia’s left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc is also among the fastest bowlers in the world. He also clocked in excess of 160, 160.4 km to be precise, against New Zealand nine years ago in 2015.
Andy Roberts
West Indies was a hub of fast bowlers in the 20th century and Andy Roberts was one of them in 1975. While playing against a top team like Australia, Roberts clocked 159.5 kmph much to the delight of his teammates and is still among the fastest bowlers in the world even after 49 years. After featuring for the Caribbeans in 47 Tests and 56 ODIs, he finished with 202 wickets and 87 wickets respectively.
Fidel Edwards
Fidel Edwards kept the flag flying for the West Indies fast bowling unit in the 21st century. He was one of the very few bowlers to shine as the Caribbeans’ performance declined in the last couple of decades or so. However, Edwards managed to clock 157.7 km/h delivery in one of the matches against South Africa in 2003. He turned up in 55 Tests, 50 ODIs and 26 T20Is for West Indies and picked 245 scalps in his career.
Mitchell Johnson
Another Australian fast bowler is on this list, and he is Mitchell Johnson. While playing against arch-rivals England, he managed to bowl a delivery with 156.8 km/h speed (97.4 mph) to stun the opposition batter. He played 73 Tests, 153 ODIs and 30 T20Is for Australia and ended up picking a total of 590 wickets.
Mohammad Sami
After Shoaib Akhtar, only Mohammad Sami managed to make it to the list of fastest bowlers in the world. He clocked 156.4 kmph for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in 2003. He played 136 matches for his country and was successful in picking wickets 227 times.
Shane Bond
New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond joined Sami in this list to match his speed of 156.4 kmph against India back in 2003. He finished with 259 international wickets in his career while playing for the BlackCaps.
Who Are India’s Fastest Bowlers?
Ever since cricket’s inception, none from India have been among the fastest bowlers in the world. Irfan Pathan recorded the fastest delivery at 153.7 km/h against Pakistan in 2007, while Mohammed Shami is also part of the list, having crossed the 150 km/h mark.
Here’s the list of the fastest Indian bowlers
| Rank | Bowler | Ball Speed (km/h) | Team | Against | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Umran Malik | 157 | SRH | DC | 2022 |
| 2 | Mayank Yadav | 156.7 | LSG | RCB | 2024 |
| 3 | Irfan Pathan | 153.7 | India | Pakistan | 2007 |
| 4 | Mohammed Shami | 153.3 | India | Australia | 2014 |
| 5 | Jasprit Bumrah | 153.26 | India | Australia | 2018 |
Umran Malik
Umran Malik, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, clocked one of his deliveries at 157 km/h while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against the Delhi Capitals during the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Mayank Yadav
Mayank Yadav shocked the entire cricketing world with delight when he clocked 156.7 km/h earlier this year during IPL 2024. He played for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) last season and bowled the fastest ball against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Irfan Pathan
Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan also clocked past the 150 km/h mark during his illustrious career in the first decade of the 21st century. He delivered 153.7 km/h delivery against arch-rivals Pakistan in 2007 to stun the cricketing world.
Mohammed Shami
India pacer Mohammed Shami was at his best in terms of pace at the start of his career. In 2014, while playing against Australia, Shami successfully clocked 153.3 km/h to register his name as one of the fastest bowlers in the world.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah has been the toast of the town ever since he made his international debut. In 2018, when he was in the middle of his peak against Australia, Bumrah managed to deliver a ball with a speed of 153.26 km/h.
Fastest Bowlers in Ipl History
Indian Premier League has witnessed the best players featuring the tournament ever since its inception. The cash-rich league has seen the bowlers light up the stage with their speed guns as well. Here are the top five fastest bowlers in the history of IPL:
| Bowler | Team | Opponent | Speed (km/h) | IPL Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaun Tait | Rajasthan Royals | Delhi Capitals | 157.7 | 2011 |
| Lockie Ferguson | Gujarat Titans | Rajasthan Royals | 157.3 | 2022 |
| Umran Malik | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Delhi Capitals | 157 | 2022 |
| Mayank Yadav | Lucknow Super Giants | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 156.7 | 2024 |
| Anrich Nortje | Delhi Capitals | Rajasthan Royals | 156.2 | 2022 |
Shaun Tait
Shaun Tait of Australia is among the fastest bowlers in the IPL. He clocked 157.7 km/h and created history while playing for the Rajasthan Royals against the Delhi Capitals during the 2011 edition of the cash-rich league.
Lockie Ferguson
While playing for Gujarat Titans in the 2022 edition, Lockie Ferguson of New Zealand clocked 157.3 km/h against the Rajasthan Royals. It still remains the second-fastest delivery ever in the history of the cash-rich league.
Umran Malik
Young Umran Malik’s stunning effort while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad remains the third-fastest delivery in IPL history. He had clocked 157 km/h against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022.
Mayank Yadav
Mayank Yadav’s golden time started with IPL 2024 when he was chosen by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for just Rs 20 lakh. He played only four matches in the previous edition but shocked the cricketing world with his pace. Mayank clocked 156.7 km/h in the match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and also won the Player of the Match award twice in four outings. He has also played for India now and is set to make waves at the international level in the coming years.
Anrich Nortje
South Africa’s pace bowler, Anrich Nortje, is also on this list of fastest bowlers in IPL history. While turning up for the Delhi Capitals franchise, the fast bowler clocked 156.2 during the 2022 edition of the T20 extravaganza against the 2008 champion Rajasthan Royals.
Apart from Tait, all these bowlers are expected to feature in IPL 2025 as well, provided that they are picked by one of the franchises at the mega auction. They will certainly look to cross the 160 km/h mark in the upcoming edition of the cash-rich league.
FAQs
Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar is the fastest bowler. He delivered the ball with a speed of 161.3 km/h against England two decades ago, in 2003, during the 50-over World Cup encounter. The record is still intact even after 21 years despite multiple players coming close to breaking it.
Umran Malik is the fastest-ever Indian bowler. He clocked a staggering 157 km/h during IPL 2022 while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Delhi Capitals. He remains the fastest Indian bowler ever. At the international level for India, Irfan Pathan has been the fastest bowler having clocked 153.7 km/h against Pakistan in 2007.
Apart from Shoaib Akhtar, Shaun Tait and Brett Lee have crossed the 100 mph mark with their delivery speeds during their illustrious careers in international cricket. The likes of Jeffrey Thomson and Mitchell Starc also got close to breaking the 100 mph mark, delivering at 99.8 and 99.7 mph, respectively.
Mayank Yadav of Lucknow Super Giants was the fastest bowler of the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League. He clocked an impressive 156.7 km/h during the match against RCB to top the list of fastest bowlers of IPL 2024.
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