Fast bowling has existed since the dawn of cricket, with the names of the greatest fast bowlers of all time sitting high among those of the legends of the game. Maintaining line, length, and variation are all very important, but pure speed is never, ever overrated. In fact, the pace is put on a pedestal, and those who can generate that kind of power and bowl the fastest ball are considered extremely dangerous.
The Indian Premier League is no exception to this, as it is the most competitive and high-stakes cricket competition in the world. Any bowler who can bowl the fastest delivery in IPL is deemed as hot property and fought over during the auction. The mantle of fastest bowler in IPL is thus heavily contested by some great players. People are always concerned about who is achieving the highest bowling speed in IPL, so we have made a list of the top 10 fastest balls in IPL history. When you know who the players who bowled those are, you’ll be able to make more knowledgeable bets when they bowl, and there’s no better place to bet on IPL than Parimatch!
Table of Contents
Fastest Ball in IPL History
To start things off, here’s an IPL fastest ball speed top 10 list:
| Rank | Fastest Bowler in IPL | Country | Team | Fastest Ball in IPL History (kmph) |
| 1 | Shaun Tait | Australia | Rajasthan Royals | 157.71 |
| 2 | Lockie Ferguson | New Zealand | Gujarat Titans | 157.30 |
| 3 | Umran Malik | India | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 157 |
| 4 | Anrich Nortje | South Africa | Delhi Capitals | 156.22 |
| 5 | Umran Malik | India | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 155.60 |
| 6 | Umran Malik | India | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 154.8 |
| 7 | Dale Steyn | South Africa | Deccan Chargers | 154.40 |
| 8 | Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | Delhi Capitals | 154.23 |
| 9 | Umran Malik | India | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 154 |
| 10 | Lockie Ferguson | New Zealand | Gujarat Titans | 153.84 |
Shaun Tait (Rajasthan Royals) – 157.71 kmph
If you’re a relatively young reader, you may only have vaguely heard about Shaun Tait. The Australian had a brief but explosive career, holding the record of having bowled the second fastest ball in the history of cricket at 161.1 kmph against England in 2010. Unfortunately for him, speed was pretty much his only claim to fame, as once his opponents got the hang of it, he didn’t have much else to offer. That didn’t stop him from being devastating in a few games, but it wore out his welcome quite quickly, too. Eventually, injuries began taxing his body as they seem to do with all hyper-fast bowlers, and he retired at the relatively early age of 32 after playing only a handful of Tests and ODIs for his country.
Tait holds the record for having bowled the fastest delivery in the history of the IPL so far at 157.71 kmph. He bowled the fastest bowl in IPL history back in 2011 when he was playing for the Rajasthan Royals, and he did so against fellow Aussie Aaron Finch, who was playing for the Delhi Capitals (then Daredevils) at the time. For over 10 years, the delivery has remained the highest speed ball in IPL history.
Lockie Ferguson (Gujarat Titans) – 157.30 kmph
One of New Zealand’s premier pace quartets, completed by the likes of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, and Neil Wagner, Lockie Ferguson is an absolute beast with the ball. Unlike his predecessor on this list, Ferguson has plenty of finesse with the ball, being able to generate swing, bowl cutters, and vary the pace effectively. The Kiwi quick has become a mainstay of the Black Caps in every format of the game over the years and has also improved his performances in the IPL, winning the title this year with Gujarat Titans.
It was also this year that he bowled the second-fastest delivery in the history of the IPL, clocking in at a menacing 157.30 kmph in GT’s final against Rajasthan Royals. The delivery did not yield a wicket, and Ferguson went wicketless in the game, but he was very economical and helped the team’s cause greatly.
Umran Malik (Sunrisers Hyderabad) – 157 kmph
Umran Malik is arguably the hottest bowler in world cricket right now. Umran already has a slew of records to his name after less than two full seasons in the IPL. These include the fastest ball by an Indian bowler and came second in the fastest ball in IPL 2022 list. It’s not every day that you bowl the fastest ball in IPL by an Indian, and in fact, he alone has bowled the top 10 fastest balls by an Indian bowler. As a result, he was immediately chosen for a potential India debut sometime this year, and although he is still uncapped, there’s a high chance that he won’t be for long.
Malik’s fastest delivery to date was bowled at Delhi Capitals’ West Indian batter Rovman Powell, and Powell, who is no stranger to pace due to his roots, smashed it for a boundary. The ball clocked in at 157 kmph, which is seriously fast, especially for a 22-year-old.
Anrich Nortje (Delhi Capitals) – 156.22 kmph
One of the best IPL fast bowlers, Anrich Nortje is a South African who rose to fame after a couple of great seasons. Until this season, he was paired with fellow Protea quick Kagiso Rabada to form a destructive pace duo for the Delhi Capitals. With Rabada having moved to Punjab Kings, Nortje now leads the Capitals’ attack with support from Bangladeshi sensation and IPL 2016 winner Mustafizur Rahman. Nortje has also begun starring for his national team and is one of the quickest bowlers in the world right now.
Nortje’s 156.22 kmph delivery came against Rajasthan Royals in 2020, and like Umran Malik’s fastest ball, it was sent to the boundary – this time by the deft hands of Jos Buttler.
Umran Malik (Sunrisers Hyderabad) – 155.6 kmph
Speaking of pace bowlers, finding an Indian name wasn’t a usual sight over the years, but nothing remained the same after IPL 2022.
Do you remember Umran Malik, sitting at the number 3 spot? Here he is back again with fascinating numbers. The Jammu and Kashmir, uncapped pacer facing Delhi Capitals in the 50th match, reached the 150+ mark. Umran clocked a nerve-wracking speed of 155.6 kmph and registered the 5th fastest ball in the history of IPL.
Umran Malik (Sunrisers Hyderabad) – 154.8 kmph
Guess who is positioned at number 6? It is Umran Malik yet again. Let’s draw back to the same encounter against Delhi Capitals. The 50th match of the tournament was lit up once more but with a different record-worthy number.
While previously, his bowl reached the 155.60 kmph mark, the follow-up recorded 154.80 kmph. Talking about the tournament as a whole, Umran, with his 15 wickets, helped the team Sunrisers Hyderabad on several occasions.
Dale Steyn (Deccan Chargers) – 154.40 kmph
Back in the early days of the IPL, there weren’t too many hyperfast bowlers around. Shoaib Akhtar had long since lost the speed of his prime years, and Shaun Tait was inconsistent. It was up to South African Dale Steyn to ramp things up, and he did just that. Steyn was a fantastic presence in every format of the game. An incredibly passionate player who played his heart out on the field, peak Steyn was one of the best bowlers of all time, bar none. Capable of just about every trick in the book – some of which he did better than almost any bowler in history – the South African could leave any batting lineup in a state of disarray.
Steyn’s fastest delivery came in 2012, at a powerful 154.40 kmph. It might not sound as fast now, but it was the second-fastest (after Tait) for many years before Anrich Nortje overtook the speed. Steyn was playing for the Deccan Chargers at the time, which folded in 2013.
Kagiso Rabada (Delhi Capitals) – 154.23 kmph
The third South African on this list is also currently the most dangerous overall. Ever since Kagiso Rabada stormed onto the scene a few years ago, he has consistently been one of the world’s best fast bowlers. A truly gifted pacer, he, like Steyn before him, can bowl just about any kind of delivery and is a constant threat to batters. With regular appearances for the Proteas at every level, Rabada is all set for a long and prosperous career provided no serious long-term injuries befall him.
Rabada played for Delhi Capitals for most of his IPL years, and it was for the northern outfit that he bowled his fastest delivery in 2019. Clocking in at 154.23 kmph, the ball was just a slice under Steyn’s best and is emblematic of Rabada’s position as the great former pacer’s spiritual successor.
Umran Malik (Sunrisers Hyderabad) – 154 kmph
Where reaching the 150 mark seems troubling to many, for Umran, it is just like some casual thing. That’s the reason IPL 2022 witnessed Umran Malik topping 150 kmph many times.
Ever since his IPL debut, Umran seemed promising. Bagging stunning performances, he made sure all the promises were kept. All that he transpired on field booked him a spot on the national team.
Lockie Ferguson (Gujarat Titans) – 153.84 kmph
At number 10, we’ve got the kiwi speedster, Lockie Ferguson. From toe-crushing yorkers to flying bouncers, Lockie’s bowling abilities are a tale in itself. But when we speak of speed, the narrative shifts to the next level.
Playing for Gujarat Titans, he bowled a delivery that marked the rate of 153.84 kmph. With so much left in the tank, the future forecast is already speed-lit.
FAQ
Who bowled the fastest ball in IPL history?
The fastest delivery ever bowled in the IPL was by Shaun Tait, who clocked in at 157.71 kmph in IPL 2011. Many people had come close, especially recently when the record for the second-fastest delivery was broken twice in the space of a few days.
Who is the number 1 fastest bowler in the IPL?
Historically, it would probably be Shaun Tait, but right now the person averaging the highest speed would probably be Umran Malik, who has also bowled the fastest ball in IPL history by an Indian.
Who has bowled the fastest ball in Indian cricket history?
Umran Malik hasn’t just bowled the fastest ball by an Indian bowler in IPL but has the amazing distinction of having bowled the quickest delivery by an Indian in the nation’s long and illustrious cricket history.
What is the fastest delivery in IPL?
The fastest delivery in the IPL measured 157.71 kmph, and was bowled by Shaun Tait in 2011.
Conclusion
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