There isn’t a more intimidating sight for a batsman than seeing a fast bowler – not fast-medium or medium-fast – on his mark, then steaming in to hurl down a rock-hard cricket ball at searing pace.
Bowling consistently at a speed of over 140 Kph is really demanding job, especially during this fast-tracked era of cricket where games come and go by in a short span of time. As tough as a task it is, bowlers take immense pride in bowling high pace.
Here are the top 5 fastest bowlers in the world currently:
5. Lockie Ferguson
New Zealand speedster Lockie Ferguson is known for his rapid pace and has a toe-crushing yorker. Ferguson delivered the fastest ball of IPL 2021; playing for Kolkata Knight Riders, the Kiwi sent a rocket at 153.63 Kph. Unfortunately, Ferguson missed the T20 World Cup due to an injury and New Zealand missed his presence, especially during in the final, where his high speeds could’ve troubled the Australian batters.
4. Jofra Archer
During the 2019 World Cup, Jofra Archer knocked over Soumya Sarkar with a jaffa that hit the top of off-stump, dislodged the ball, and went aerial over the boundary line! That was the early exhibition of Jofra Archer’s scorching pace. And, who could forget his battle with Steve Smith in the Ashes where he forced the Australia talisman to sit out of the game after hitting him on the neck with a bouncer.
Although Archer has been sidelined with multiple injuries in the last year, he will soon return to international cricket. He may start with a drop off a little pace, but expect him to return to his best in course of time.
3. Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada is also one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket. In IPL 2019, where he snapped 30 wickets in the tournament, the South African flung down plenty of deliveries that crossed the 150 kph barrier. One of those recorded at 154.2 kph, the fastest that season. The 26-year-old remains South Africa’s premier pacer and has the capability to torment opposition batters for the upcoming years.
2. Mitchell Starc
When in his best rhythm, it’s hard to think for a bowler more deadly than Mitchell Starc. The left-arm fast bowler with a slightly slingy action has achieved speeds as high as 160 Kph with both red ball and white ball.
Starc, who holds the record of most wickets at the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, was a fearsome bowler in the second half of the last decade, and continues to remain one despite not being in the best of his form recently.
1.Anrich Nortje
Anrich Nortje is almost a perfect bowler; one which captains dream of having at their disposal. With his blistering pace, the South African doesn’t rely much on assistance from the surface or in the air; he can bowl consistently with a perfect upright seam position and has superb control over his line and length.
He bowled the top four fastest deliveries in IPL 2020, the fastest one clocking 156.22 Kph. Tests, ODIs, or T20s, Nortje has the skillset to nip out wickets in any format, in any situation.
Also Read: These Hilarious Old Posts Prove That Shoaib Akhtar Is Super-Entertaining
