Watching the express pace bowling of Umran Malik in IPL 2022 must-have raised several questions in the mind of cricket fans, like who has bowled the fastest delivery in the history of IPL and where does Umran Malik stand in that list.
Before that, how important are the express pace bowlers in T20 cricket?
Pace Bowlers who frequently bowl at a speed of 140+ KPH usually get the tag of an express pace bowler. Lasith Malinga, Date Steyn, and Brett Lee are some of the biggest names which come to mind when we hear about fast bowling. These bowlers bowled so many thunderbolts at the batsman, which were scary to face.
The raw pace is one of the toughest matchups to face as a batsman. It is one of the powerful tools captains use to get important breakthroughs. Most batsmen struggle to time the ball against express pace bowlers; a fraction of a second reaction time is needed for a batter to negotiate from the other end. Very few batsmen like AB De Villiers can play express pace at ease.
Find below the list of the Top 10 fastest deliveries bowled in the history of the Indian Premier League.
| BOWLER | SPEED (in kmph) | OPPOSITION | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaun Tait (RR) | 157.7 | Delhi Capitals | 2011 |
| Umran Malik (SRH) | 157 | Delhi Capitals | 2022 |
| Anrich Nortje (DC) | 156.2 | Rajasthan Royals | 2020 |
| Umran Malik (SRH) | 156 | Delhi Capitals | 2022 |
| Anrich Nortje (DC) | 155.1 | Rajasthan Royals | 2020 |
| Umran Malik (SRH) | 154.8 | Delhi Capitals | 2022 |
| Anrich Nortje (DC) | 154.7 | Rajasthan Royals | 2020 |
| Dale Steyn (RCB) | 154.4 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 2012 |
| Kagiso Rabada (PBKS) | 154.2 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2019 |
| Lockie Ferguson (KKR) | 154.1 | Gujarat Titans | 2023 |
Stats Insights
Australian batsman Aaron Finch was at the receiving end of the fastest delivery ever bowled in the history of IPL by Shaun Tait (157.7 kmph). The most surprising stat is that Tait never bowled a 155+ kmph delivery in IPL after this fastest delivery.
Umran Malik, in his second year of IPL, has the record of bowling the most number of 150+ kmph deliveries in a single season of the Indian Premier League. However, Rovman Powell smashed the fastest delivery bowled by Umran Malik for a four. Watch the video of the delivery here. A few weeks back, Umran expressed his desire to touch 155 kmph speed.
Anrich Nortje bowled his two fastest balls in a single over against Jos Buttler. The first ball was smashed for a boundary, while the second ball resulted in a wicket. Nortje is one of the quickest pacers going around in the world.
South African pacers Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada have also bowled many thunderbolts at batsmen. Rabada is the only bowler on this list to win a purple cap in an IPL season. While Steyn has the best economy rate, he was disciplined with line lengths, too, along with speed.
Umran Malik has dominated this list. In the future, Jammu and Kashmir pacer has a great chance to replace Shaun Tait from the first position. Anrich Nortje, Jofra Archer, and Lockie Ferguson are other international bowlers who can break the 157.7 kmph in IPL. It won’t be a surprise if Umran Malik has the record of all top 10 fastest deliveries in the history of IPL; he has been ruthless with his pace.
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