Fast Guide: fastest delivery in ipl – Record & Leaders

There’s a very specific sound when a speed gun wakes up. A whirr, a beep, and then a number punches through the broadcast as a hush hangs over a full stadium. The number matters because it tells the truth about a bowler’s raw pace in a way eyes can’t. In the T20 carnival, pace is drama. A split-second later, the ball spits off the pitch or crumps into the keeper’s gloves at head height, and you can feel the energy change. That’s the mystique of the fastest delivery in the IPL.

Why the fastest ball matters in the IPL

Pace does two things in T20 cricket. It compresses batting time and it distorts decision-making. A batter’s backswing window shrinks; the options tree narrows. Mistakes multiply. Yorkers at 150+ km/h get under bats; good-length balls rush gloves; bouncers create new angles for top edges. In a format that is built on tempo and rhythm, sustained high speed can flip a powerplay and flatten a chase.

But raw speed is never the whole story—especially in India where pitches, dew, altitude, and boundary sizes vary across venues. The best quicks use pace as a platform, not a destination. They add wobble seam, late dip, cross-seam cutters, or shorter lengths that climb awkwardly. The fastest delivery in the IPL is a headline. The real currency is overs and spells where every ball is a problem.

The all-time record, and the names that keep returning

Shaun Tait sits on top of the IPL speed charts with a 157.71 km/h missile for Rajasthan. That reading remains the benchmark. Since then, a new wave has pushed the ceiling close to the same high. Lockie Ferguson’s peak, Umran Malik’s volcanic bursts, Mayank Yadav’s breakout thunderbolts, and Anrich Nortje’s relentless heavy length have kept the radar honest. You’ll notice a pattern when you track fastest-ball lists: the same five or six names show up week after week because it’s one thing to hit 150 km/h once, quite another to live there.

Top 10 fastest balls in the IPL (one per bowler, peak verified reading)

To avoid duplication by the same bowler, this list records the single fastest ball attributed to each major quick. Speeds are based on the IPL speed gun and broadcast data; conversions provided.

No	Bowler	Team	Speed (km/h)	Speed (mph)
1	Shaun Tait	RR	157.71	98.0
2	Lockie Ferguson	GT	157.30	97.7
3	Umran Malik	SRH	157.00	97.6
4	Mayank Yadav	LSG	156.70	97.3
5	Anrich Nortje	DC	156.22	97.0
6	Mark Wood	LSG	154.74	96.1
7	Dale Steyn	SRH	154.40	95.9
8	Kagiso Rabada	PBKS	154.23	95.8
9	Jofra Archer	MI	153.85	95.6
10	Mitchell Starc	KKR	152.90+	95.1+

Notes:

• Tait’s 157.71 km/h is the official all-time fastest delivery in the IPL.
• Ferguson’s peak is widely cited from a title match, and remains among the quickest ever registered.
• Umran’s spikes to the mid‑150s established him as the fastest Indian quick in the league’s modern era.
• Mayank’s arrival added another Indian name to the top band, often brushing 155+ km/h.
• Nortje has delivered entire spells above 150, with a top reading in the 156 band.

Season leaders and the rhythm of speed

You can track an IPL season by the bowler who breaks the speed gun early. The pattern tends to look like this:

• Opening weeks: fresh pitches, mild evenings, the ball zips. This is when Mayank Yadav and Umran Malik have lit up the charts, clocking 155+ km/h in their first two outings. Powerplay fields encourage hard lengths, and batters haven’t calibrated yet.
• Mid-season: surfaces slow down, dew can be heavy, squads rotate. This is usually when technicians like Nortje and Ferguson hold their speeds—and their lengths—better than most. The raw numbers might shade down a couple of km/h, but impact often increases because batters can’t free their hands.
• Finals stretch: adrenaline meets muscle memory. Pace leaders tend to spike again. Ferguson has historically found another gear in knockouts; others channel shorter bursts and micro-rotations—two overs, then a breather, then a death over.

Across recent campaigns, the season’s fastest delivery has oscillated between those same names. When injuries intervene—or a bowler is used more as a specialist at the death—someone else sneaks into the leaderboard for a week. But the sustained trend is clear: high-150s are now achievable in multiple grounds, by multiple bowlers, across multiple teams.

Player deep dives: what makes these quicks so quick

Shaun Tait – the benchmark

• Action and intent: Tait’s slingy, side-on release created vicious late whip. The ball left his hand later than you expected, and faster than your eyes processed.
• Use in IPL: Deployed in shock spells—short, furious bursts in the powerplay or right after it—his brief spells often included balls above 150 km/h from the first over.
• Signature delivery: A heavy back-of-length ball that didn’t seem to slow off Indian surfaces; the glove-rattler.

Umran Malik – India’s pace revolution on primetime

• Action and rhythm: Upright seam, high arm, and a piston-like run-up. He doesn’t overcomplicate his action; he channels straight-line energy into the crease and explodes over a braced front leg.
• Tactical evolution: Early on, the ball was very fast and mostly short of a length. As he matured, the three-quarter seam slower ball showed up, and the yorker count increased. But the crowd noise still peaks when the radar flashes 155+.
• Role definition: Two in the powerplay, one in the middle overs. Some captains save him for a late over purely to change the batter’s sightline.

Lockie Ferguson – the art of late heat

• Mechanics: Broad-chested, efficient hip-shoulder separation, and a whippy wrist. The ball skids through, which is why even short-of-a-length deliveries can feel quicker than the number.
• On Indian pitches: Suits the truer surfaces. He thrives when the bounce isn’t too variable, allowing his hit-the-deck length to play above the bat. In the fielding ring, he’s captain’s comfort: hostile, consistent, fearless against set batters.

Mayank Yadav – pace with snap

• Breakout trait: The knee brace at impact is textbook, and the shoulder moves fast. The ball leaves the hand with late flick—rare for bowlers new to this pace band.
• What stood out: He bowled thunderbolts without getting carried away. Several balls in the 155 range were followed by a full, 145‑ish tailing yorker. That rhythm—mixed with intelligence—wins T20 games.

Anrich Nortje – heavy-ball physics

• Flight path: Not all 155s feel the same. Nortje’s deliveries hit gloves hard because they arrive flat. Minimal arc, minimal loss of vertical speed. Batter feels hurried even on good batting nights.
• Method: He doesn’t chase the speed gun; he chases repeatable length. That’s why his spells often average the highest speeds in a match even if he doesn’t hit the single fastest ball that night.

Kagiso Rabada – the complete package

• Pace band: Lives in the mid‑140s and has spikes to the mid‑150s. Adds tactical nous: cross-seam when surfaces grip, hard seam when they don’t, and the best defensive yorker when eyes are on the radar.
• IPL role: Swing a ball early, hold a field at the death. The fastest ball isn’t always the story; the most effective ball often is.

Mitchell Starc – late tail and brute pace

• Angle: Left-arm quick through the hip with that late seam tail. His 150+ yorker is a different problem from a right-armer’s. Angle + pace = batters’ footwork crisis.
• Powerplay to death: Starc can give you both; that’s rare in a left-arm speedster in Indian conditions.

Jofra Archer – effortless power

• What it looks like: Graceful run, no waste in the action, the ball still thumps into the gloves. He gives you 150+ without theatrics and adds a deceptive bouncer in the upper‑140s that holds its line.

Dale Steyn – precision at pace

• Real advantage: The wobble seemed to appear later than physics allowed. After the pitch, the ball could straighten or hold. The radar number was only half the story; the seam told the rest.

Gerald Coetzee – emerging thunder

• Skill set: High release, steep bounce on fuller lengths, and the confidence to pitch short on true surfaces. He sits in the high‑140s with frequent spikes above 150, which keeps keepers alert and batters late.

Team-by-team: who brings the heat

Mumbai Indians (MI)

The MI quicks room has a culture of pace. Jofra Archer’s best reading for the franchise sits around the 153–155 km/h bracket, and more recent additions like Gerald Coetzee have regularly crossed 150. Pair that with aggressive fields and you get powerplay pressure even on flat nights at Wankhede, where a humid sea breeze and small boundaries can otherwise blunt speed.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

CSK’s attack is built on control, but their quicks can still rattle the numbers. Matheesha Pathirana has touched the 150+ zone with a sling that generates late dip. CSK often use pace as a change-up in the middle overs rather than as the headline act.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

The Chinnaswamy altitude keeps the air thin and ball carry lively, which makes speed feel even faster. Navdeep Saini’s 152.8+ reading and Mohammed Siraj’s 150+ bursters headline recent pace spikes, often backed by hard lengths into the hip to deny room at this run-scoring ground.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Mitchell Starc’s left-arm angle and upper‑140s-to‑150+ bouncers give KKR a distinct identity at Eden Gardens. Add occasional express bursts from supporting quicks and you get a team comfortable doubling down on pace even when dew comes.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

This is the home of the modern Indian pace revolution: Umran Malik’s 157 and Kartik Tyagi’s 150+ spells elevated SRH’s speed profile. Historically, they’ve balanced raw heat with high-quality wrist spin; now the fast lane is a genuine pathway to wickets in the middle overs.

Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Shaun Tait’s 157.71 belongs here. Jofra Archer’s time with Royals layered pace with precision. Jaipur evenings can be deceptive—moist air makes the ball carry; leave it short and it flies.

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Anrich Nortje’s 156.22 is among the heaviest deliveries the IPL has seen. DC have also fielded a battery of supporting quicks who stay near the 140s, creating role clarity: one enforcer, one seam-movement hunter, one death specialist.

Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Kagiso Rabada’s high‑150s spikes give PBKS a go-to pace headliner. Mohali’s dry air and lively decks reward those who hit the seam at top speed.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

Mayank Yadav’s 156.7 announced an identity: they can throw a young quick at you who challenges the top order’s body language from the first over. Mark Wood’s 154.74 for the franchise confirmed that the setup knows how to extract pace from the wicket square.

Gujarat Titans (GT)

Lockie Ferguson’s 157+ registered at the business end of a title run is part of GT folklore. Alzarri Joseph added a hard, seaming option that sits in the 145–150+ lane on good nights. The result: GT can turn a middle over into a choke point purely through pace.

Speed, conditions, and the Indian venues

• Air density and altitude: Bengaluru’s elevation helps the ball carry; it can make 147 km/h feel like 150 at the bat. Chennai’s dense, humid air can deaden carry, which is why spinners—and cutters—have larger roles there.
• Dew and grip: Dew reduces friction on the ball, killing cutter effectiveness. Pure pace and late seam wobble gain relative value in wet nights. The fastest deliveries at such venues often show up in the last five overs.
• Square, pitch hardness: Fresh pitches in northern venues can be springy. First-innings powerplays on new strips are prime land for 150+.
• Boundary geometry: Smaller squares embolden batters to hook and pull; quicks respond with hard, chest-high length that spikes the gun.

How bowling speed is measured in the IPL

What the speed gun actually reads

• Radar principle: The IPL’s broadcast speed readings come from a Doppler radar (think Stalker Pro–class units integrated with Hawk-Eye). The gun locks the ball’s velocity near the point of release, not at the stumps. That’s why bouncers and yorkers with the same release speed can show identical numbers even if one “looks quicker.”
• Release vs arrival: A 150 km/h ball loses speed through the air. By the time it meets the bat, it can be around 130–135 km/h depending on atmospheric drag and seam position. The gun still reports the release peak.
• Kilometres vs miles: TV graphics default to km/h. When comparing internationally with mph-based lists, convert carefully.

Speed-gun accuracy and the common controversies

• Calibration drift: Different venues, angles, and calibration windows can introduce minor variance. A ball might read 154.5 on one ground and 153.8 on another with identical release speed.
• Angle-of-approach error: If the radar’s line isn’t perfectly aligned with the ball path, tiny cosine errors creep in. Hawk-Eye data helps cross-check but broadcasts stick to the radar number for “fastest delivery” graphics.
• Seam wobble and radar lock: Early seam wobble can create small jitter on the reading. Modern guns are good at signal discrimination, but you’ll still see decimals jump on rare balls.
• The bottom line: Across an IPL season, the variance is too small to change the all-time leaderboard. The fastest ball record is safe from calibration noise.

Fastest vs quickest: the language of speed

In cricket slang, “fastest” is the number on the gun. “Quickest” can mean the delivery that hurries the batter most. Those do not always match. A 147 km/h ball that skids from a length and rears into the splice can feel “quicker” than a 151 km/h bouncer that sits up. What creates that effect?

• Pitch interaction: Moisture creates skid. A tiny seam bite creates lift. Both can add perceived speed.
• Trajectory: The flatter, straighter ball feels quicker to the hands.
• Batter’s cues: Late pick-up or disguised length makes even a marginally slower ball feel like a blur.

Has anyone bowled 160 km/h in the IPL?

No. Multiple readings have flirted with the upper 150s. The official peak remains 157.71 km/h. Breaking 160 in Indian conditions requires a rare confluence: a fully loaded bowler in rhythm, a new ball, cool dry air, a hard fresh pitch, and the luck of perfect radar alignment. Possible? Theoretically. Recorded? Not yet.

The fastest over vs the fastest ball

A single ball at 157 grabs headlines. A six-ball sequence where the average hovers above 150 wins matches. Over the years, we’ve seen both in the IPL. Nortje has delivered overs where the slowest ball sits above 147. Umran and Mayank have produced powerplay bursts with three or four balls above 153. Lockie has saved an innings with a death over at a brutal, chest-high length where everything sat in the high‑140s and two balls kissed 150+. That’s the “quickest over” idea—no official ledger, but easy to feel in the batter’s body language.

Yorkers, bouncers, and what the radar doesn’t show

• Yorkers: The radar number is at release; the ball arrives slower. A 150 km/h yorker still forces a decision earlier than the foot can plant. That’s why mistimed toes and jammed bats show up on slow-motion replays.
• Bouncers: Identical release speed, different visual. A short ball that reaches chest height faster than the batter’s pull path can adjust is a genuine weapon even if it reads 147 instead of 151. The decision time matters more than the pure number.

The km/h to mph cheat sheet (for quick comparisons)

Speed (km/h)	Speed (mph)
150	93.2
152	94.4
154	95.7
156	96.9
157.71	98.0
160	99.4

Indian pace: where the speed boom came from

For years, India’s fast-bowling culture was about control. Then came a generation raised on fitness science, better strength and conditioning, and a domestic circuit that asked bowlers to win games with pace. Umran Malik’s emergence turned a corner—the first Indian quick to consistently hit the high‑150s on IPL broadcast. Soon after, Mayank Yadav joined the conversation, proving that the pathway wasn’t a one-off. Others like Siraj and Saini, while not headline grabbers on the speed gun, extended the idea: bowl fast, bowl smart, and do it for four overs.

Training to bowl faster without breaking down

T20 schedules punish the body. A high-velocity action amplifies the punishment. Fast bowlers who sustain 145+ over a season follow disciplined frameworks:

• Technique before load: The braced front leg, hip-shoulder separation, and a strong block allow energy transfer to the ball rather than the lower back. When those are right, the speed gun climbs without brute force.
• Strength, not just mass: Posterior chain strength (glutes, hamstrings), rotational core stability, and scapular control drive safe velocity. Heavy squats alone don’t create speed; smart posterior work does.
• Run-up rhythm: Too fast and you lose coil; too slow and you over-muscle at the crease. The best quicks are metronomes from the top of the mark.
• Recovery: Cold immersions, sleep discipline, and soft-tissue work between matches. Pace disappears first when recovery slips.
• Skill blending: A bowler who can take pace off without telegraphing it is less predictable, and paradoxically, safer. You don’t chase the gun every ball; you choose your moments.

Injury risk and the red lines

• Stress reactions: Tibia and lower-back stress are classic for young quicks who ramp up too fast. Monitoring bowling loads—number of balls, not just overs—is non-negotiable.
• Shoulder overload: High arm speed asks for scapular control. Without it, the rotator cuff says no.
• The IPL fix: Teams now build micro-rotations into the schedule—two-game bursts, then a rest. Medical teams prefer high-quality, short spells to longer, tiring spells that lower speed and increase risk.

Speed-value searches answered in plain English

• 157 km/h in the IPL: Yes, multiple bowlers have touched that band. Tait at 157.71 km/h is the record, Umran has hit the 157 mark, and Ferguson has peaked at 157.3 km/h.
• 155 km/h ball in the IPL: Routine for the elite list of quicks in form. Nortje, Umran, Mayank, and Ferguson have all delivered balls above that threshold.
• 150 km/h bowler in the IPL: The club is growing. On strong nights, Rabada, Starc, Archer, Wood, Coetzee, Joseph, and several Indian quicks visit 150.
• 160 km/h in the IPL: Not yet recorded.

Fastest ball by team: a quick reference

The exact “team record” can vary by source, but these names and ranges are reliable guides and cover the fan searches like “fastest ball in IPL by MI bowler” or “CSK fastest delivery in IPL.”

Team	Notable pace leaders	Peak range (km/h)
MI	Jofra Archer, G. Coetzee	150–155+
CSK	Matheesha Pathirana	150–152
RCB	Navdeep Saini, M. Siraj	150–153
KKR	Mitchell Starc	150–153
SRH	Umran Malik, K. Tyagi	150–157
RR	Shaun Tait, Jofra Archer	153–158
DC	Anrich Nortje	150–156+
PBKS	Kagiso Rabada	150–154+
LSG	Mayank Yadav, Mark Wood	150–157
GT	Lockie Ferguson, A. Joseph	150–157

Strategy: how teams weaponize pace

• Powerplay blitz: A bowler who can hit 150+ with a hint of new-ball seam is a wicket-taker first, economy asset second. Two overs here can remove one opener and freeze the other.
• Middle-overs squeeze: Fast, heavy length with a short midwicket and deep square. Batters who want to rotate must play with hard hands. Edges carry, top edges fly.
• Death overs: Pace splits here. Some quicks go even faster with pure yorkers; others take off 10–15 km/h and hit cross-seam into the hip. The fastest delivery isn’t always the right delivery at the death, but the threat of it shapes shot choice.

Hawk-Eye vs speed gun: which one is “truer”?

• Radar is king for raw speed. Hawk-Eye models trajectory from multiple cameras, and while it can infer speed at different points of flight, the broadcast “fastest delivery” graphic is tied to radar.
• Model vs measurement: Hawk-Eye is superb for pitch maps, seam deviation, swing carry, and bounce. The speed gun owns the release-speed number. Together, they tell the story; alone, each misses a layer.

Hinglish corner: the fan’s cheat sheet

• IPL me sabse tez ball: Shaun Tait, 157.71 km/h.
• IPL me sabse tez gend kisne daali: Shaun Tait.
• IPL fastest ball kisne daali abhi: Recent seasons have seen Mayank Yadav, Umran Malik, Lockie Ferguson top the weekly charts.
• IPL me 160 kmph hua kya: Nahi, abhi tak nahi.
• IPL me sabse tez Indian bowler kaun: Umran Malik, with spikes at 157 km/h.

Comparisons that fans love

Fastest ball in cricket vs IPL

The global ODI/T20/Test record sits above the IPL’s peak. Conditions, ball type, and venue altitudes matter. The IPL record at 157.71 km/h sits in elite company but trails the absolute world top by a sliver.

IPL fastest ball vs international record

International cricket has seen readings into the 160s. The IPL’s upper bound is the high‑150s. The gap is small, and it narrows on cooler nights at high-carry venues.

Fastest bowler in India vs IPL

In India’s domestic and international frameworks, multiple quicks have touched the high‑140s and low‑150s. In the IPL, Umran Malik and Mayank Yadav have reached the high‑150s on the speed gun, setting the standard.

Speed myths to retire

• Myth: The fastest ball is always a bouncer. Truth: The radar reading is at release; a yorker at the same release speed will show the same number.
• Myth: Taking pace off is for medium pacers. Truth: Every elite speedster owns a slower ball that mirrors their action. Deception is part of pace bowling, not a departure from it.
• Myth: Indian pitches kill speed. Truth: They reduce average pace late in seasons if surfaces tire, but powerplay strips and certain venues are excellent for high velocity.

Behind the scenes: measuring, logging, and broadcasting

• Logging protocol: Every delivery’s speed is time-stamped and logged alongside bowler, over, and venue. Broadcasters have a “fastest ball” marker updated ball by ball.
• On-screen rounding: You’ll see numbers rounded to one or two decimals or to whole numbers depending on the graphics template. The underlying log retains the more precise figure.
• Venue idiosyncrasies: A couple of grounds produce more “missing” readings when dew is heavy; that’s radar occlusion by moisture and crowd interference on reflective surfaces. It doesn’t change the leaderboards; it does hide the odd fast ball from TV.

What to watch for if you love the speed gun

• First over after a strategic time-out: Bowler is rested, captain has reset the field, adrenaline is high. Speed spikes appear here.
• New batter, new over: The fastest ball often targets the pads or ribs to force a hurried leg-side shot. The speed gun and the short fine leg are in business.
• A quick’s third spell: If fitness is elite, the final spell can be quicker than the first. If not, the pace falls back to the mid‑140s. You can read a preseason program from this one minute of cricket.

Micro-tactics for batters facing 150+

• Trigger movements must be shorter. Large back-and-across steps die vs 150+. Watch top batters reduce their pre-delivery dance against Nortje and Ferguson.
• Pick a scoring area early. Against Starc, right-handers commit to midwicket or backward point depending on the ball’s angle. Late changes are edge factories.
• Trust the leave on short balls outside off. It’s counterintuitive in T20, but giving up a ball can reset your shape for the over.

What makes a spell “fast” beyond the gun

• Intent: The field tells you everything. A deep third and fine leg, with two close catchers on the leg side, shout bouncer plans. If the bowler sticks to it and maintains pace, the spell carries menace.
• Repeatability: One 152 km/h ball and five at 138 km/h is a cameo. Six in the 145–151 bracket with two slower balls that look identical out of the hand is a spell.
• Disruption: Wickets, especially bowled and caught behind, appear when speed couples with the right length. If gloves keep popping and batters are late, that’s “quickest” in practice.

The broadcast moments worth replaying

• “The dance”: A batter hit on the splice at 150+, then immediately waving the physio away to reclaim the moment. It’s sport at its rawest.
• “The sprint”: A quick bowling a 155 km/h yorker, seeing it dug out, then rushing to pick up at mid-off to save a single. Elite speed and elite effort in one clip.
• “The hush”: The instant after a 157+ reading when 50,000 people collectively lean into the next ball. That’s power you can’t fake.

FAQs: IPL fastest delivery, answered crisply

• Who bowled the fastest ball in IPL history?
  Shaun Tait, 157.71 km/h (98.0 mph), for Rajasthan Royals.
• What is the speed of the fastest ball in IPL in km/h and mph?
  157.71 km/h, which is 98.0 mph.
• Who bowled the fastest ball in the current cycle?
  The all-time record stands with Tait. In recent campaigns, weekly and season leaders have included Mayank Yadav, Umran Malik, Lockie Ferguson, and Anrich Nortje.
• Has anyone bowled 160 km/h in the IPL?
  No. The highest recorded readings sit in the high‑150s.
• Which Indian bowler has bowled the fastest ball in the IPL?
  Umran Malik, with a top reading of 157 km/h.
• Who is the fastest bowler in the IPL right now?
  On pure single-ball speed, the title often rotates among Umran Malik, Mayank Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, and Anrich Nortje depending on form and usage.
• How accurate is the IPL speed gun?
  Very accurate for release speed. Minor variance can occur by venue and angle, but not enough to change the all-time rankings.
• What is the fastest over ever bowled in the IPL?
  There’s no official “fastest over” table, but Nortje, Ferguson, and Umran have delivered overs averaging above 150 km/h, judged by ball-by-ball readings.
• Which team features most in the fastest deliveries lists?
  Rajasthan Royals (Tait), Sunrisers Hyderabad (Umran), Delhi Capitals (Nortje), Lucknow Super Giants (Mayank), and Gujarat Titans (Ferguson) frequently feature at the top.
• What factors affect bowling speed in T20 matches?
  Mechanics, strength, fatigue, pitch hardness, air density, dew, and tactical usage patterns. Even the order of spells—powerplay vs death—shapes raw speed.

Closing thought: the soul of speed

A radar number is a truth, but not the whole truth. The fastest delivery in the IPL electrifies because it packages athleticism, skill, and risk into a single frame. It is the product of a thousand hidden choices—hours in the gym, deliberate technical work, clever captaincy, and the courage to run in again. Every season, someone new steps up to the mark and the stadium leans forward, waiting for that unmistakable beep. The ball leaves the hand. We breathe in. The gun flashes. And for a heartbeat, cricket becomes pure velocity.