Since its inception, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen several bowlers light up the stage. The blistering pace of some of the fast bowlers in the IPL has been captivating to watch. While not all of these fast bowlers have had an impressive economy rate, some of them picked up a large number of wickets with their raw pace. In IPL 2022, Umran Malik consistently recorded bowling speeds of over 150 kmph and also picked up 22 wickets.
From Shaun Tait’s thunderous deliveries in the early seasons to the latest speed demons like Umran Malik and Mayank Yadav, the IPL has witnessed an array of bowlers who have left batsmen trembling with their sheer pace.
Check out a list of the top 10 fastest balls in the history of the IPL.
List of Top 10 Bowlers with Fastest Balls in IPL History
| Rank | Player | Speed | Team | Year |
| 1 | Shaun Tait | 157.71 kmph | Rajasthan Royals | 2011 |
| 2 | Gerald Coetzee | 157.4 kmph | Mumbai Indians | 2024 |
| 3 | Lockie Ferguson | 157.3 kmph | Gujarat Titans | 2022 |
| 4 | Umran Malik | 157 kmph | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 2022 |
| 5 | Mayank Yadav | 156.7 kmph | Lucknow Super Giant | 2024 |
| 6 | Anrich Nortje | 156.22 kmph | Delhi Capitals | 2020 |
| 7 | Umran Malik | 156 kmph | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 2022 |
| 8 | Mayank Yadav | 155.8 kmph | Lucknow Super Giant | 2024 |
| 9 | Anrich Nortje | 155.1 kmph | Delhi Capitals | 2020 |
| 10 | Umran Malik | 154.8 kmph | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 2022 |
1. Shaun Tait
In the 2011 edition of the IPL, former Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait set a record with the league’s fastest delivery. Tait, known for his exceptional speed, bowled a delivery at 157.71 kmph while playing for the Rajasthan Royals against the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).
This remains the fastest ball in IPL history, with Aaron Finch being the batsman who faced it. Throughout his career, Tait was renowned as one of the world’s fastest bowlers, frequently reaching speeds of up to 155 km/h. In a T20I match in February 2010, Tait bowled a delivery clocked at 160.7 km/h, marking the fastest ball ever recorded in Australia.
Read More: Fastest Ball in Cricket History
2. Gerald Coetzee
During IPL 2024, Mumbai Indians’ latest addition, Gerald Coetzee, displayed his explosive pace by delivering the second-fastest ball in IPL history.
Clocking an impressive 157.4 kph to Riyan Parag, Coetzee’s third delivery in the 16th over became the highlight of the match, but overall, it was a disappointing outing for Coetzee, as he conceded 36 runs in just 2.3 overs without managing to secure any wickets. Parag hit the winning runs off Coetzee’s fastest ball.
3. Lockie Ferguson
During the IPL 2022 final clash between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals at Narendra Modi Stadium, Lockie Ferguson stunned spectators by delivering a ball at 157.3 kmph to. Jos Buttler, securing the third-fastest IPL delivery ever.
In the final ball of the fifth over, Buttler faced a yorker-length delivery outside the off-stump, failing to connect with the ball, resulting in Wriddhiman Saha safely collecting it. Earlier in the season, Umran Malik had set the pace with the fastest delivery of IPL 2022, reaching 157 kph in the 20th over against the Delhi Capitals.
Suggested Read: 10 Fastest Bowlers in The World
4. Umran Malik
Umran Malik burst onto the IPL scene in 2021 with Sunrisers Hyderabad, but it was in the following year, 2022, that he truly made his mark. He not only bowled with raw pace that season, but also consistent picked up wickets.
Malik’s fastest delivery was recorded at 157 kmph, unleashed against Delhi Capitals’ Rovman Powell. Powell, however, hit a boundary off that delivery. Earlier in the same match, the Kashmiri pacer had clocked 154.8 kph. He had also clocked 154 kmph twice against the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2022. Malik finished that season with 22 wickets, the most for the Sunrisers.
5. Mayank Yadav
During an IPL 2024 encounter between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, LSG’s Mayank Yadav surpassed his own record, clocking a staggering 156.7 kmph, marking the fastest delivery of the tournament.
Yadav’s exceptional performance continued as he bowled four overs, conceding just 14 runs and picking up 3 wickets. Just a few days before this spell, Yadav had clocked a delivery exceeding 155 kmph. However, his promising campaign was cut short due to an unfortunate injury, preventing him from participating in the entire IPL 2024.
6. Anrich Nortje
In the 2020 IPL season, Anrich Nortje bowled the fastest delivery of the season, clocking an impressive 156.2 km/h. This not only marked the fastest speed recorded in the IPL since 2012 but also played a pivotal role in Delhi Capitals’ 13-run victory over Rajasthan Royals.
Nortje’s exceptional pace was on full display during the match, particularly in his second over against Jos Buttler, where he unleashed three deliveries exceeding 150 km/h. Although Buttler managed to score a boundary off the first delivery, Nortje’s impeccable delivery on the next ball left the RR opener completely bamboozled.
Suggested Read: Five Fastest Bowlers in India
7. Umran Malik
As highlighted earlier, Umran Malik emerged as one of the standout performers in IPL 2022. In a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he unleashed a delivery recorded at 156 kmph, the same game where he previously bowled a sensational 157 kmph delivery, as discussed earlier.
Remarkably, Malik replicated this impressive speed of 156 kmph in international cricket as well. During the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati in 2023, Malik delivered the fastest ball by an Indian in international cricket, once again clocking 156 kmph.
8. Mayank Yadav
21-year-old Mayank finds himself on the list again. In the same match in which he bowled a delivery recorded at 156.7 kmph, he also bowled a delivery recorded at 155.8 kmph. In his four overs, he picked up three wickets while giving away only 14 runs.
9. Anrich Nortje
Anrich Nortje too finds himself for a second time on the list of fastest balls in IPL with a 155.1 kmph delivery that he bowled in IPL 2020. This was in the same match in which he bowled the fifth fastest delivery of the tournament, clocking an impressive 156.2 km/h.
10. Umran Malik
As mentioned above, Umran Malik was sensational in IPL 2022. In a match against Delhi Capitals, he clocked 154.8 kmph before going on to record a speed of 157 kmph, which is fourth on the list of fastest ball in IPL history. Malik, however, failed to impress with his line and speed in the subsequent IPL seasons.
Further Read: Best Bowling Figures in ODIs History
Conclusion
These bowlers and their deliveries are proof that T20 cricket is not solely dominated by batsmen. From Shaun Tait’s early exploits to the latest crop of speedsters, these bowlers have proven that in the high-octane world of T20 cricket, it’s not just about scoring runs but also about facing the daunting challenge of confronting lightning-fast deliveries.
Fast bowlers, with their blazing speed, fans on the edge of their seats just the way batsmen do with their big shots. Fast bowlers are the heartbeats of the game, injecting excitement and unpredictability with every fiery delivery.
These fast bowlers are strike weapons and have been valuable picks in fantasy cricket. You can pick them and take part in Fantasy cricket on the WinZO Fantasy Cricket App.
