Top 10 Fastest Balls in Cricket History

Cricket has evolved greatly in recent years. With new rules and regulations, limited-over matches have shifted more towards the batters. Bowlers nowadays do not enjoy a good time bowling in limited-overs cricket. They do not get much help from the pitches and the conditions. However, pace bowling has been one of the most exciting aspects of cricket, with fast bowlers creating terror against the batters. 

Even in today’s world, a fast bowler, bowling a bouncer and a yorker remain some of the most pleasing sights. Their ability to bowl fast while maintaining control made them lethal weapons for their teams. Over the years, some of the best fast bowlers have pushed the boundaries of speed, delivering deliveries that have shocked the batters and mesmerized the spectators. To bowl the fastest ball in cricket history required not just immense physical strength but also perfect biomechanics and rhythm. 

In the article, we dive into the top 10 fastest balls in cricket history.

10. Mitchell Johnson: 156.8 km/h (97.49 mph)

Mitchell Johnson is known as one of the best fast bowlers of his generation. His 2013-14 Ashes series saw some of the fiercest bowling spells in the series. Dismantling and terrorizing the batters with his speed and swing with the red ball. He won the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the 2015 Cricket World Cup, the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, and the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.

Johnson was a lethal and a threat to the batters, especially in test cricket. He clocked his fastest delivery in the same Ashes series against the Three Lions. He bowled at a speed of 156.8 km/h on Boxing Day of the test match.

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9. Umran Malik: 157 km/h (97.55 mph)

Umran Malik is one of the fastest bowlers of this era. The Jammu-Kashmir pacer gained attention when he bowled five consecutive deliveries at over 150 kmph during the IPL 2021 game of Sunrisers Hyderabad vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore. Malik was also named the Emerging Player of the IPL 2022. Despite making his debut for India, he has not been a consistent player for the side due to his poor performances.

However, he has a long way to go with his career just started. But he clocked one of the fastest overs in IPL history. He bowled at a speed of 157 km/hr on the fifth ball, breaking his record of 156 from the fourth ball.

8. Lockie Ferguson: 157.3 km/h (97.74 mph)

Lockie Ferguson is one of the fastest bowlers of this generation. The Kiwi pacer is known for his brutal pace and speed; he is able to bowl at speeds in excess of 90 mph. This makes him different from the other Black Caps pacers, who are more acquainted with swing bowling. Ferguson has been a regular member of the New Zealand side in limited overs format.

Ferguson is the Kiwi pacer to record the fastest delivery for the side. He clocked at the speed of 157.3 in the IPL 2022 final against the Rajasthan Royals. Jos Buttler was the batter who faced the ball. He recently missed out on the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to an injury.

7. Fidel Edwards: 157.7 km/h (97.94 mph)

Fidel Edwards, with his sling action, had a promising career for the West Indies. But he was struck with injuries, and his cricketing career was cut short for that. His inconsistent performance and a poor average of just under 40 in Test cricket have struggled to fulfil his early potential. However, he was one of the quickest Windies pacers of his era.

He gained instant success, achieving speeds of 155 and more consistently. Edwards’s fastest ball came against South Africa, where he recorded a 157.7 km/hr delivery. However, due to his poor form, he could not continue his career in international cricket.

6. Andy Roberts: 159.5 km/h (99.12 mph)

Andy Roberts was one of the deadliest bowlers in world cricket. He was one of the “quartet” of West Indian fast bowlers from the mid-70s to the early 80s, the others being Michael Holding, Joel Garner, and Malcolm Marshall. Roberts was known as ‘The Jawbreaker,’ he was named this as he was too mean, too quick, and too deadly for the batters.

Roberts helped the Windies win two World Cups in 1975 and 1979. He missed the 160 km/h mark but managed his career-best speed of 159.5 km/hr against Australia back in 1975. He picked up 202 wickets with an average of 14.94 in 42 test matches for the Caribbean nation.

5. Mitchell Starc: -160.4 km/h (99.57 mph)

Mitchell Starc is widely regarded as the best red-ball bowler of this era. His ability to swing the new ball with amazing pace makes him different from the others. He is also the best active fast bowler in ICC events. He is the fastest bowler in the history of ODI cricket to reach 150 and 200 wickets. Starc’s first ball-inswing yorker to Rory Burns in Ashes is one of his great deliveries.

The speedster has reduced his speed a bit after some injuries. But he still bowls at 140km/h across all formats of the game. The big Aussie pacer has the record for the 5th fastest ball in cricket history. He bowled at a speed of 160.4 km/h against New Zealand.

4. Jeff Thomsom: 160.6 km/h (99.66 mph)

Jeff Thomson is one of the fastest bowlers in the history of cricket. The Aussie pacer along with Dennis Lillee created a lethal bowling pair that was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history. Jeff’s highly effective slinging delivery action helped him pick 200 wickets in just 51 test matches for the Kangaroos. But during his time he was the fastest bowler.

He bowled then the fastest ball in cricket history, where he unleashed a shocking delivery that reached the speed of 160.6 km/h against the West Indies in 1975 at the iconic WACA, Perth. This is now the fourth fastest ball in cricket history.

3. Shaun Tait: -161.1 km/h (100.14 mph)

Shaun Tait is another bowler with sling action and a fearsome pace. The Aussie pacer’s career had the most success in one-day internationals. Tait had a shortened due to injuries. But he troubled a lot of batters in international cricket with his speed. He is tied with the fastest ball ever bowled in cricket history with his fellow Australian teammate Brett Lee.

In a 2010 match against England, he showcased his lethal bowling skill, which clocked in at 161.1 km/h and it is still ranked as one of the fastest deliveries in the game’s history. Craig Kieswetter was the batter to be dismissed in the very same delivery of the match.

2. Brett Lee: 161.1 km/h (100.14 mph)

Brett Lee is one of the finest bowlers for Australia across formats. A prolonged career of 13 years for a fast bowler was sensational. He made his debut against India in 1999 and was a member of the mighty Aussie side, which created nightmares for opponents from the 2000s to the 2010s. He has a record for the second-fastest Australian ODI player to take 100 wickets.

However, Lee was known for his pace and the ability to swing the ball with a similar pace, which made him more lethal than others. He has the record for the second-fastest delivery in world cricket, which is also tied with his teammate Shaun Tait. He bowled against New Zealand at a speed of 161.1 km/h.

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1. Shoaib Akhtar: 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph)

Shoaib Akhtar is the fastest bowler in cricketing history. The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ with long hair and slingy action terrorized the batters with his speed. He was known to be one of the fiercest bowlers in world cricket. He had a long career of 14 years playing in international cricket, despite all the injuries and bans he had in his career.

Akhtar recorded the fastest ball in cricket history during the 2003 ODI World Cup in South Africa. He bowled at the staggering speed of 161.3 km/h against England. This record is nearly impossible to be broken in modern-day cricket. Nowadays, bowlers prefer line and length more than working on speed.

Fastest Ball in Cricket History List

Bowler	Speed (km/hr)	Speed (mph)	Country	Opponent	Year
Shoaib Akhtar	161.3	100.2	Pakistan	England	2003
Shaun Tait	161.1	100.1	Australia	England	2010
Brett Lee	161.1	100.1	Australia	New Zealand	2005
Jeffrey Thomson	160.6	99.8	Australia	West Indies	1975
Mitchell Starc	160.4	99.7	Australia	New Zealand	2015
Andy Roberts	159.5	99.1	West Indies	Australia	1975
Fidel Edwards	157.7	97.9	West Indies	South Africa	2003
Lockie Ferguson	157.3	97.74	New Zealand	Rajasthan Royals	2022
Umran Malik	157	97.55	India	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	2021
Mitchell Johnson	156.4	97.1	New Zealand	India	2003