Who is the Quickest Bowler in the Cricket World?
Bowling fast is a skill, and to be successful at that speed takes a ton of practice and skill. Pace bowlers, also renowned as pace spearheads or speed guns, offer more thrill to the sport with their outrageous accuracy and pace. A quick bowler in red-hot form is a sight to see on a cricket field.
Leading 10 World’s Fastest Bowlers in the History of Cricket
Prior Pakistani right-arm quick bowler Shoaib Akhtar “Rawalpindi Express” is broadly regarded as the perpetual fastest bowler in the history of cricket. Akhtar bowled the quickest ball ever recorded in international cricket at a speed of 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) against England during the 2003 Cricket WC.
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Over time, the likes of Allan Donald, Shaun Tait, Waqar Younis, and Brett Lee have taken the batters by amazement with accuracy and speed during their career. New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson, England’s Jofra Archer, Australia’s Micthell Starc, and South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada are a couple of the quicken bowlers who trouble the batter with express speed in the cricket universe at the moment.
All-time Quickest Deliveries in the History of Cricket (International)
| Year | Rank | Bowler | Country | Against | Ball Speed |
| 2003 | 1 | Shoaib Akhtar | Pakistan | England | 161.3 km/hr (100.2 mph) |
| 2010 | 2 | Shaun Tait | Australia | England | 161.1 km/hr (100.1 mph) |
| 2005 | 3 | Brett Lee | Australia | New Zealand | 161.1 km/hr (100.1 mph) |
| 1975 | 4 | Jeffrey Thomson | Australia | West Indies | 160.6 km/hr (99.8 mph) |
| 2015 | 5 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | New Zealand | 160.4 km/hr (99.7 mph) |
| 1975 | 6 | Andy Roberts | West Indies | Australia | 159.5 km/hr (99.1 mph) |
| 2003 | 7 | Fidel Edwards | West Indies | South Africa | 157.7 km/hr (97.9 mph) |
| 2013 | 8 | Mitchell Johnson | Australia | England | 156.8 km/hr (97.4 mph) |
| 2003 | 9 | Mohd. Sami | Pakistan | Zimbabwe | 156.4 km/hr (97.1 mph) |
| 2003 | 10 | Shane Bond | New Zealand | India | 156.4 km/hr (97.1 mph) |
Quickest Bowlers in India
Hyderabad’s quick bowler Umran Malik has been in the limelight of the cricket universe by becoming the quickest bowler in India. 2022 T20 League season, he constantly bowled at over 150kph during the season. Umran Malik has taken over the title of the quickest bowler in India during the 2022 season of the Indian T20 League. He bowled at an average speed of about 150 km/hr, with several deliveries crossing the 150 mark.
The likes of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Umesh Yadav have presented tons of accuracy and control with the ball in their hands. Indian quickest bowlers can now go against the fastest bowlers from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and England.
List of the Quickest Indian Bowlers of All-Time
| Year | Rank | Bowler | Fastest Ball Delivery |
| 2022 | 1 | Umran Malik | 157 km/hr |
| 2024 | 2 | Mayank Yadav | 156.7 km/hr |
| 2007 | 3 | Irfan Pathan | 153.7 km/hr |
| 2014 | 4 | Mohammed Shami | 153.3 km/hr |
| 2018 | 5 | Jasprit Bumrah | 153.26 km/hr |
Quickest Ball in the 2024 IPL
LSG’s speedster Mayank Yadav delivered the quickest ball in the 2024 IPL. Bought for just 20 Lakhs by Lucknow during the auction, he made his debut against RCB and registered digits of 3/27. He bowled accurately and quickly and was awarded the Player of the Match for his match-switching spell. He bowled at an average speed of about 148km/hr, with several deliveries crossing the 150 mark.
FAQs
- What was the speed of Shoaib Akhtar’s quickest ball?
- Shoaib Akhtar’s quickest delivery came at a speed of 161.3 km/hr against England in the 2003 Cricket WC. He is also thought of as the quickest bowler in cricket history.
- What is the quickest ball in the history of cricket?
- Shoaib Akhtar bowled the quickest ball in cricket history at 161.3 kmph (100.2 mph) during the 2003 WC match against England in Durban, South Africa.
- Who is the quickest bowler in India?
- Presently, Mayank Yadav is the quickest bowler to consistently deliver high speeds, clocking a brilliant 156.7 kmph in an IPL match in 2024. However, Umran Malik holds the record for the quickest ball ever bowled by an Indian bowler, attaining a scorching 157 kmph.
- Who is the number one bowler in cricket history?
- Presently, Jasprit Bumrah of the Indian cricket team holds the No. 1 ranking in all 3 cricket formats (T20, Test, and ODI) according to the ICC rankings.
