IPL History: Fastest Ball

It’s been more than 14 years since the Indian Premier League (IPL) came into existence, and it has seen some of the fastest bowlers from world cricket showcase their skills in it.

Speedsters are a favorite Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait, Dale Steyn, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rasbada, Jofra archer, and Lockie Ferguson Others have also rocked IPL with their rocket launches that defy gravity. SRH pacer has joined this elite group. Umran Malik has captured attention with his speed, accuracy, and intelligence.

We take a look back at the IPL’s fastest-ever deliveries.

Shaun Tait – 157.71 kmph

Shaun Tait was one the most prolific bowlers of all time. He was a fast bowler who could throw thunderbolts at batters and rattle them with speed and bounce. Injuries constantly hampered his career. He was often in and out. Tait did have a decent IPL season. He played 21 games for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in all four seasons (2010), 2012, and 2013. He was able to return with 23 wickets in these four years. In 2011, he was the fastest IPL delivery. Tait delivered a 157.7 kmph delivery to Aaron Finch, who was playing at that time for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). The former Australian fast bowler holds the record for the fastest ball of the IPL ten years later.

Umran Malik is the Indian who bowls the fastest ball in IPL history.

The Jammu-Kashmir pacer was first noticed in IPL 2021. He had only played in three matches. While he only took two wickets in IPL 2021, his speed and accuracy were impressive. Against Virat Kohli’s RCB, Malik put on an impressive showing, which helped him earn a call-up to the Indian team as a net bowler for the T20 World Cup. Malik’s IPL 2022 performance was even more impressive. He has been playing fastball for fun and putting on a lot of heat. So far in IPL 2022, Umran Malik has bowled the fastest delivery of the tournament, clocking 157 kmph during a spell at Delhi’s Rovman Powell.

Anrich Nortje – 156.22 kmph

Anrich Nortje was astonished when he took the IPL 2020 edition to the plate. He regularly clocked more than 150 kmph and was an inspiration to batters. The batsmen couldn’t get him away as they were rushed more often than not. Nortje bowled a superb spell against Rajasthan Royals (RR). Jos Buttler took Nortje to the toilets early, but the South African bounced back.

On the fifth delivery of his first over, Nortje bowled a 156.2 kmph delivery,  which Buttler scooped it for four. It was the second-fastest ball ever bowled in IPL history. However, Nortje did not let the boundary deter him as he hit back with a 155.21 kmph thunderbolt, which knocked over Buttler’s stumps. This delivery is the third fastest by any bowler during this Indian T20 extravaganza.

Nortje also has delivered balls at speeds of 154.74, 154.21, and 153.72 km/h. All of these deliveries came in the 2020 season itself, and Nortje’s performance (22 wickets) was a big reason why Delhi Capitals reached the final that year. Nortje was the fastest bowler at the tournament, even in IPL 2021.

Dale Steyn – 154.4 kmph

It is not surprising that Dale Steyn has made this list of bowlers who have thrown some of the fastest deliveries ever recorded in the IPL’s history. He is probably the greatest fast bowler ever played in this generation. Steyn is a supremely consistent player, no matter what color of white-ball cricket.

He is an excellent picker of wickets and a true thunderbolt. He was the fastest man at his peak, averaging 150 kmph every time. Steyn is known for his fast deliveries in the IPL. He sent down a ball that ran 154.40 km/h in 2012 while playing with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers. This is the fifth fastest delivery in Indian T20 league history.

Steyn is an injury-prone player with an excellent record in IPL. Steyn, a South African legend, has collected 97 wickets at an economy pace of 6.91. He also has some of the fastest balls at the tournament, with a top speed clocking 154.4 kmph.

Kagiso Rabada – 154.23 kmph

Kagiso Rajada has been excellent in the IPL over the past three seasons. Kagiso Rabada has been a critical reason why Delhi Capitals have been so popular since the beginning of 2019. He was South Africa’s premier fast bowler. He took 25 wickets in 12 games of the 2019 season. Unfortunately, he was injured at the end of the season. He returned in 2020 with 30 wickets and the Purple Cap. He maintained his excellent form in the 2021 season, taking eight wickets just before the season was canceled.

Rabada has also consistently surpassed the 150 kmph mark in the last few decades. Rabada has exceeded the 150 kmph limit 16 times, according to stats from iplt20.com. A few of those deliveries also made it to the top 10. One of them was a 154.23 delivery, placing him in the top 5. Another one was at 153.91 kilometers per hour.

Lockie Ferguson – 153.84 kmph

Lockie is one of world cricket’s fastest bowlers. For several years, he has been a top-notch bowler in white-ball cricket in New Zealand. He also has some outstanding international cricket deliveries. However, he hasn’t featured in many games in the IPL in just 14 matches in his IPL career across three seasons (2017, 2019, and 2020).

While Ferguson didn’t have great returns in the 2017 and 2019 seasons, where he took five wickets from nine games, he was pretty good in the 2020 edition, where he took six wickets at an economy rate of 7.46. Ferguson made one of the fastest deliveries recorded in the IPL’s history in 2020. Ferguson’s season-high speed of 153.84 km/h was enough to place him among the top 10 most rapid deliveries.

Jofra Archer – 153.62 kmph

Jofra Archer’s fast pace makes him a dangerous bowler. While he is only a relatively new player, his speed has allowed him to stun many batters across the globe. Archer has been an imposing figure for batsmen and has consistently averaged over 150 kmph. Archer recorded a delivery at 153.62 kmph in one of these games. This helps him make it into the Top 10 Fastest Delivery Lists in IPL history.

FAQ

What is the fastest IPL ball in 2022?

Umran Malik, the SRH bowler, was the fastest player in IPL 2022. He clocked 157 kmph against Delhi Capitals.

Who has bowled a cricket match with the fastest pace?

Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar has bowled the fastest ball in cricket history, clocking 161 kmph against New Zealand in 2002.