Which Bowler Has Delivered the Fastest Ball in IPL History?

Shaun Tait holds the record for the fastest ball in IPL history, clocking 157.71 kmph for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2011. The Australian quick produced the delivery at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, where his extreme pace repeatedly rushed Delhi's top order. More than 15 years later, Tait's mark remains the benchmark for outright pace in the Indian Premier League.

Several fast bowlers have come close. Lockie Ferguson reached 157.3 kmph in the 2022 IPL final, Umran Malik touched 157.0 kmph during the same season, Mayank Yadav announced himself with a 156.7 kmph thunderbolt in 2024, while Anrich Nortje had earlier reached 156.22 kmph in 2020. In IPL 2026, Gujarat Titans pacer Ashok Sharma emerged as the season's quickest bowler with a 154.2 kmph yorker, but Tait's long-standing record survived another year.

Fastest Balls in IPL History

Speed-gun readings can occasionally differ between broadcasters and statistical databases, which is why some published fastest-ball lists are not identical. The figures above use the speeds most consistently reported for the leading IPL pace records.

1. Shaun Tait – 157.71 kmph vs Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2011

Shaun Tait's 157.71 kmph delivery remains the fastest recorded ball in IPL history. He produced it for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Daredevils in Jaipur during the 2011 season, at a time when Tait was already recognised as one of the quickest bowlers international cricket had seen.

Rajasthan captain Shane Warne had effectively given Tait a simple brief: use his pace. Tait responded by charging in at full intensity from his opening spell, attacking Delhi's batters with the slingy action and steep pace that had made him such an uncomfortable bowler to face. The speed gun registered one delivery at approximately 157.7 kmph, setting an IPL mark that has survived repeated challenges from some of the fastest bowlers of the modern era.

The record delivery was faced by Aaron Finch. Tait's pace hurried the right-hander and beat him, with the ball narrowly missing the stumps. Finch survived that particular delivery, but Tait later dismissed him during the spell. Rajasthan went on to win the match by six wickets.

Why Shaun Tait Was Capable of Bowling 157.7 kmph

Tait's action was very different from that of a conventional fast bowler. He approached the crease with explosive momentum before releasing the ball from a low, slingy arm position, making it difficult for batters to pick up the ball early. His action was built almost entirely around generating speed rather than operating as a line-and-length seamer for long spells.

He had already demonstrated his extreme pace at international level. In 2010, Tait was recorded at 160.7 kmph against Pakistan in Australia, one of the fastest deliveries ever measured in international cricket. His IPL record of 157.71 kmph was therefore consistent with the pace he was capable of producing at his peak.

The remarkable part is not that Tait reached 157 kmph once, but that more than a decade of IPL fast bowling has still not produced a universally recognised delivery faster than his 2011 thunderbolt.

Shaun Tait's Record Has Survived More Than 15 Years

Fast-bowling standards in the IPL have changed considerably since 2011. Training methods have improved, fast bowlers are stronger, franchises now monitor workloads closely, and speed data receives far more attention than it did during the league's early seasons. The tournament has also attracted bowlers such as Anrich Nortje, Lockie Ferguson, Umran Malik, Mayank Yadav, Jofra Archer and Matheesha Pathirana.

Even with that evolution, the number at the top remains:

157.71 kmph – Shaun Tait

Lockie Ferguson has come closest among the widely recognised challengers, missing the mark by only 0.41 kmph.

2. Lockie Ferguson – 157.3 kmph in the IPL 2022 Final

Lockie Ferguson bowled the second-fastest widely recognised delivery in IPL history when he clocked 157.3 kmph for Gujarat Titans against Rajasthan Royals in the 2022 final.

The setting could hardly have been bigger. Gujarat were playing their first IPL final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, and Ferguson was brought into the side partly because of the extra pace he could offer against Rajasthan's batting line-up.

The record-threatening delivery came to Jos Buttler. Ferguson went very full outside off stump, effectively producing a high-speed yorker at 157.3 kmph. Buttler attempted to squeeze the ball away but could not make contact.

The delivery was officially recognised as the fastest ball of IPL 2022, edging past Umran Malik's 157 kmph effort from earlier in the tournament.

Ferguson could not quite catch Tait, but he came closer than almost anyone else has managed.

Lockie Ferguson's Pace Was Not a One-Ball Event

Ferguson's final spell was not based around one freak speed-gun reading. During the same passage of play, deliveries were registered above 150 kmph repeatedly. One ball to Sanju Samson was recorded at approximately 154 kmph, while another later in the spell reached 152.6 kmph.

That sustained pace matters. Fast bowling is more threatening when the batter knows the next ball may also arrive above 150 rather than treating one exceptionally quick delivery as an isolated event.

Ferguson's ability to combine that pace with yorkers, hard lengths and slower balls has allowed him to remain a T20 threat rather than simply a speed specialist.

3. Umran Malik – 157.0 kmph vs Delhi Capitals, IPL 2022

Umran Malik holds one of the most significant pace records by an Indian bowler in IPL history, having clocked 157.0 kmph for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Delhi Capitals in 2022.

Malik's rise during that season was built almost entirely around raw speed. While many young fast bowlers occasionally touch the high 140s, Umran repeatedly crossed 150 kmph and forced batters to adjust to a type of pace rarely produced by an Indian quick in the IPL.

His fastest ball came against Delhi Capitals and was registered at 157 kmph. For a period, it was the quickest delivery of IPL 2022, before Ferguson went fractionally faster in the final.

The delivery also strengthened Malik's reputation as the quickest Indian fast bowler of that IPL generation. He finished the 2022 season with 22 wickets, showing that the pace was beginning to translate into wicket-taking output rather than being merely an eye-catching speed-gun number.

Umran Malik's 2022 Season Changed the Indian Pace Conversation

Before Umran's breakthrough, Indian fast bowlers capable of consistently exceeding 150 kmph were extremely rare. He did not simply reach 150 once; he operated around that speed regularly enough for batters to expect genuine pace whenever he came on.

His challenge was always control. At extreme speeds, even small errors in length can disappear to the boundary quickly. During his best periods in IPL 2022, however, Umran combined hard lengths with pace through the air and rushed batters who were trying to play conventional T20 strokes.

The 157 kmph delivery became the headline number, but the more important feature of his season was the repeated ability to cross 150.

4. Mayank Yadav – 156.7 kmph vs RCB, IPL 2024

Few IPL debuts have generated as much immediate fast-bowling excitement as Mayank Yadav's arrival for Lucknow Super Giants in 2024. He first attracted attention against Punjab Kings, where he repeatedly rushed experienced batters and reached 155.8 kmph.

He went even faster in his next appearance against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Mayank touched 156.7 kmph, moving into the highest tier of IPL pace bowling and producing one of the fastest deliveries ever recorded by an Indian.

What made Mayank's introduction so impressive was the accuracy that accompanied his pace. He was not simply running in and spraying the ball at 150-plus. His hard lengths forced batters into hurried pulls and defensive strokes, while the pace made it difficult to adjust once the ball climbed towards the body.

Mayank Yadav Won Player of the Match in His First Two IPL Games

Mayank's pace translated immediately into performances. He became the first player in IPL history to win Player of the Match awards in each of his first two appearances.

Against Punjab Kings, he took 3/27, using pace and bounce to change a chase that had begun strongly. Against RCB, he was even more difficult to handle and finished with 3/14.

The 156.7 kmph delivery became part of a much bigger story: an Indian bowler appearing capable of combining extreme pace with wicket-taking accuracy.

Injuries subsequently interrupted his progress, but the speed he produced during those first games remains among the most exciting fast-bowling spells seen from an Indian in the IPL.

5. Anrich Nortje – 156.22 kmph vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2020

Before Ferguson, Umran and Mayank pushed deeper into the 156-157 range, Anrich Nortje had produced one of the fastest spells in IPL history for Delhi Capitals in 2020.

Against Rajasthan Royals, Nortje was locked in a fascinating contest with Jos Buttler. The Rajasthan opener initially used Nortje's pace against him, scooping and driving him for boundaries, but the South African responded by going even quicker.

One of his deliveries was measured at 156.22 kmph.

At the time, Cricbuzz described it as the fastest ball of that IPL season and reported it as the fastest delivery in IPL history according to the speed records then being highlighted.

Nortje's spell demonstrated a feature shared by the best genuinely fast bowlers: he was prepared to respond to being attacked by increasing the intensity rather than immediately retreating to slower-ball bowling.

Nortje's Battle With Jos Buttler Was Pure Fast Bowling

Buttler was one of the world's strongest T20 openers, particularly against pace. Nortje nevertheless continued attacking him with high speed and a full, straight line.

The contest eventually ended with Nortje bowling Buttler.

That dismissal captured why raw pace can still matter in modern T20 cricket. Batters have more scoring options than ever, but a 150-plus kmph delivery aimed accurately at the stumps leaves very little reaction time.

6. Ashok Sharma – 154.2 kmph, Fastest Ball of IPL 2026

Ashok Sharma bowled the fastest delivery of IPL 2026, reaching 154.2 kmph for Gujarat Titans against Rajasthan Royals.

The young right-arm pacer produced the delivery on the final ball of the 16th over at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Dhruv Jurel was on strike, and Ashok nailed a rapid yorker at 154.2 kmph that Jurel managed to dig out.

The speed was particularly notable because Ashok was playing only the second IPL match of his career. He had been operating above 145 kmph regularly through the spell and had already crossed 150 before producing the fastest delivery of the night.

Ashok finished with 1/37 from four overs, dismissing Shimron Hetmyer. Rajasthan still reached 210/6, but the young quick's pace became one of the major talking points of the match.

Ashok Sharma Was the Fastest Bowler of IPL 2026

Earlier in the 2026 season, Anrich Nortje had reached approximately 150.9 kmph while playing for Lucknow Super Giants. Ashok moved clearly beyond that figure with his 154.2 kmph yorker.

The delivery remained the fastest widely reported ball of IPL 2026. It did not threaten Tait's overall record, but it moved Ashok into a small group of Indian bowlers capable of operating comfortably above 150 kmph.

For a young fast bowler early in his IPL career, that was a significant statement.

Fastest Indian Bowler in IPL History

Umran Malik holds the fastest widely recognised IPL delivery by an Indian bowler at 157.0 kmph. Mayank Yadav is next at 156.7 kmph, while Ashok Sharma reached 154.2 kmph in 2026.

Umran and Mayank are particularly notable because they did not merely cross 150 once. Both produced spells containing several deliveries in the 150-plus range.

That is a more meaningful test of extreme pace than a single speed-gun peak.

Shaun Tait vs Lockie Ferguson vs Umran Malik

The gap between the three quickest established IPL deliveries is extremely small.

Less than one kilometre per hour separates Tait from Umran Malik.

At such speeds, that difference is almost impossible to identify with the naked eye. All three deliveries give the batter roughly four-tenths of a second from release to reaching the batting crease, with actual reaction time even shorter once the batter identifies line and length.

Did Gerald Coetzee Bowl 157.4 kmph in IPL 2024?

Some published speed lists from IPL 2024 reported Gerald Coetzee at 157.4 kmph for Mumbai Indians, which would place him above Lockie Ferguson and just behind Shaun Tait. Other established IPL record summaries and later season lists do not consistently include that reading, instead continuing to list Ferguson's 157.3 kmph as the second-fastest recognised delivery.

This difference is a useful reminder that speed-gun readings can vary by broadcast feed, tracking system and statistical provider. For that reason, historical pace records are best treated as recorded speed-gun figures rather than laboratory measurements.

Shaun Tait's 157.7/157.71 kmph figure is consistently recognised across major reports as the IPL record.

Fastest Ball in IPL 2022

IPL 2022 produced two of the fastest deliveries the tournament has seen. Umran Malik reached 157 kmph during the league stage, giving him the season's fastest mark for several weeks.

Lockie Ferguson then produced 157.3 kmph in the final between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals, overtaking Umran at the last possible stage of the competition.

Ferguson therefore finished as the official fastest-delivery winner for the season.

The fact that both crossed 157 kmph during the same edition made IPL 2022 one of the most notable seasons for outright pace.

Fastest Ball in IPL 2024

Mayank Yadav produced one of IPL 2024's most talked-about speed readings when he reached 156.7 kmph against RCB. His pace drew even more attention because he was an uncapped Indian fast bowler in his first week of IPL cricket.

Some speed-tracking reports also credited Gerald Coetzee with an even higher 157.4 kmph reading during the season, although that figure is not consistently retained across all historical IPL pace lists.

Regardless of the database used, the 2024 season produced another generation of bowlers operating comfortably above 150 kmph.

Fastest Ball in IPL 2025

Lockie Ferguson again topped the early speed charts during IPL 2025, this time representing Punjab Kings. He was recorded at approximately 153.2 kmph against Lucknow Super Giants.

Jofra Archer, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj and Matheesha Pathirana were among the other bowlers pushing towards or beyond 150 during the tournament.

The 2025 season did not produce a delivery close enough to threaten Shaun Tait's all-time mark.

Fastest Ball in IPL 2026

Ashok Sharma's 154.2 kmph yorker against Rajasthan Royals was the standout pace delivery of IPL 2026. The Gujarat Titans fast bowler surpassed the earlier season benchmark of 150.9 kmph set by Anrich Nortje.

Ashok's emergence added another Indian name to the IPL's growing group of genuine 150-plus pacers. His pace did not challenge Tait, Ferguson, Umran or Mayank on the all-time list, but it was enough to establish him as the quickest bowler of the 2026 tournament.

Why Bowling 150 kmph Is So Difficult

Extreme pace is not generated by arm speed alone. Fast bowlers need momentum from the run-up, strong hip and shoulder separation, a stable front leg, rapid trunk rotation and efficient transfer of force through the bowling action.

Small mechanical changes can affect several kilometres per hour.

That also explains why fast bowlers cannot simply decide to bowl every delivery at maximum speed. Repeated 150-plus bowling places enormous stress on the back, knees, ankles, hamstrings and shoulders.

Many quicks therefore combine their fastest deliveries with slower balls, cutters and controlled hard lengths rather than attempting to hit their top speed six times an over.

Does the Fastest Bowler Always Take More Wickets?

No. Pace can create wickets, but speed alone is not enough.

A 155 kmph half-volley can still disappear for six. A 135 kmph ball delivered with perfect seam position, swing or deception can be much harder to score from.

The best IPL fast bowlers combine speed with other skills. Jasprit Bumrah uses yorkers, seam movement and unusual release points. Mohammed Shami has built much of his success around seam position and new-ball accuracy. Trent Boult uses swing, while Pathirana combines pace with a low slingy release and death-over yorkers.

Bowlers such as Tait, Ferguson, Nortje, Umran and Mayank attract attention because of their speed, but their effectiveness still depends on where the ball lands.

Fastest Bowlers in IPL: Fastest Balls and Speed Records

Modern IPL batters practise against throwdowns, sidearms and bowling machines operating at very high speeds, so pace alone is less intimidating than it once was. Genuine 150-plus bowling, however, still reduces reaction time and can disrupt a batter's setup.

A batter expecting a slower ball or back-of-a-length delivery suddenly has far less time when the bowler pushes towards 155 kmph. That can produce late shots, mistimed pulls, rushed defensive strokes and edges caused by the batter being fractionally late.

Pace is therefore most dangerous when combined with uncertainty. Ferguson's slower balls become harder to pick because batters know he can bowl above 150. Mayank's hard length becomes more difficult because the ball arrives sooner and climbs faster than expected.

Could Shaun Tait's IPL Record Be Broken?

The record is certainly breakable, but a bowler will need to produce an exceptionally fast delivery.

Ferguson reached 157.3 and missed by less than half a kilometre per hour. Umran reached 157.0, while Mayank has already touched 156.7 early in his IPL career.

The physical ability clearly exists among modern bowlers.

The bigger difficulty is producing that speed in match conditions while staying fit enough to bowl regularly. Fast bowlers operating above 150 frequently deal with injury and workload issues, making sustained extreme pace difficult.

Through IPL 2026, no one has officially displaced Tait.

FAQs

Who bowled the fastest ball in IPL history?

Shaun Tait bowled the fastest recorded ball in IPL history at 157.71 kmph for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Daredevils in 2011.

Who bowled the second-fastest ball in IPL history?

Lockie Ferguson is widely credited with the second-fastest IPL delivery at 157.3 kmph, bowled for Gujarat Titans against Rajasthan Royals in the 2022 final.

Who is the fastest Indian bowler in IPL history?

Umran Malik holds the fastest widely recognised IPL delivery by an Indian at 157.0 kmph, recorded for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022.

What is Mayank Yadav's fastest ball in IPL?

Mayank Yadav reached 156.7 kmph for Lucknow Super Giants against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2024.

What is Anrich Nortje's fastest IPL ball?

Nortje bowled a delivery recorded at 156.22 kmph against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020.

What was the fastest ball in IPL 2026?

Gujarat Titans pacer Ashok Sharma bowled the fastest ball of IPL 2026 at 154.2 kmph against Rajasthan Royals.

Has anyone bowled 160 kmph in IPL?

No officially established IPL speed record has reached 160 kmph. Shaun Tait's 157.71 kmph remains the recognised benchmark.

Has Shaun Tait's fastest IPL ball record been broken?

No. Through IPL 2026, Tait's 157.71 kmph delivery from 2011 remains the fastest recognised ball in IPL history.

Sources

• Times of India – Shaun Tait Bowls 157.7 kmph Against Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2011
  View the original 2011 report