The beautiful game of cricket has several intricacies, and fast bowling is one aspect that offers it sheer brilliance and sensation. Seeing a bowler at his mark, loading up with the ball as ammunition, striding ahead towards the crease, and delivering fast is an electrifying sight. Stepping up, setting the speed gun on fire, and hitting the top mark, visible as speed on the big screen, is an incredible moment in the game. As exciting as it can get, the chill of pace bowling is an immense source of adrenaline among the players and viewers. 

To master the skills of fast bowling, it takes a great amount of hard work, practice, rhythm, momentum, and innumerable accurate run-ups. To bowl the fastest ball in the match and for the history books is a beholding sight and requires immaculate strategies, strength, and consistency. To be counted as one of the fastest bowlers in the cricket world is a matter of humongous pride and an indication of pure greatness. 

Creating dread among the batters and overpowering them in the modern formats of the game is quite tough. Speed bowling is one tool, if employed and executed at its best, can bundle out the opposition in a jiffy. The protagonists of these are a rare species of players who possess the ball like venom and have set records for the same. Here is a look at the top ten fastest bowlers in the world who are currently in the game and actively plying their trade. 

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BOWLER	MAX. BALL SPEED (km/h)	FOR	AGAINST	YEAR
M. Starc	160.4	Australia	New Zealand	2015
H. Rauf	159	Pakistan	England	2022
L. Ferguson	157.3	Gujarat Titans	Rajasthan Royals	2022
U. Malik	157	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Delhi Capitals	2022
M. Yadav	156.7	Lucknow Super Giants	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	2024
M. Wood	156.6	England	Pakistan	2022
A. Nortje	156.22	Delhi Capitals	Rajasthan Royals	2020
K. Rabada	154.23	Delhi Capitals	Mumbai Indians	2019
J. Archer	154	England	Afghanistan	2025
M. Shami	153.3	India	Australia	2014

Mitchell Starc

The tall and lanky left-arm fast bowling sensation from Australia often takes the cricketing universe by storm because of his sensational pace. He is currently the fastest bowler in the world, having clocked an unimaginable speed of 99.7 miles per hour in a test match against New Zealand in 2015. His average speeds are in the high 140s kph, and his smooth action makes him look aesthetic while delivering balls. When he spearheads the bowling attack of any team, a fear is instilled among the batters, and this attribute has made him one of the highest wicket-takers for his nation, currently at 382 wickets in tests. His potent fitness while being a pacer is a testament to his focused approach towards meticulous practice, planning, and workload management. 

Haris Rauf

The skiddy bowler from Pakistan is a white ball specialist. He began his international career as a T20 player and soon got opportunities in the ODI circuit as well. He is tall, bangs the surface hard, and extracts extra bounce off the pitch. In a match against England in the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, Australia, he bowled at 99 miles per hour, sending rocket waves across the bowling fraternity. He is a regular player in his national side and has accumulated 206 wickets, so far, in limited-overs cricket. His average bowling speed nears 150 kmph on many occasions. 

Lockie Ferguson

The Kiwi bowler is a great customer of batters' wickets. His sheer pace, complemented by impeccable bounce, line, and length, makes it extremely tough to score against him. His rhythmic bowling action makes his task look effortless. He regularly plays in the IPL and is a great asset for any team. Once in the 2022 season, playing for the Gujarat Titans against the Rajasthan Royals, he produced a magical delivery worth 157.3 kmph and set the speed gun ablaze. For New Zealand, he has, so far, taken 163 wickets in white ball cricket.

Umran Malik

The speedster from Jammu and Kashmir was the talk of the town even before his debut in professional cricket. His raw pace, coupled with youthful energy, made him a fast bowling sensation. This put him in the category of a rare breed of pacers, an asset that could serve India and IPL cricket for years to come. In the 2022 IPL season, playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad against the Delhi Capitals, he bowled a superfast delivery, measured at 157 kmph in the speed metrics. It became the second fastest ball in that season and earned him a place in the National side. He, however, has been very unfortunate with injuries and has missed out on a lot of game time over the years, hoping to return very soon and produce similar goods for which he became popular. 

Mayank Yadav

Mayank Yadav rose in the ranks while playing for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2024 season of IPL. His impressive performances from the time he got an opportunity made the cricket pundits and viewers talk about him quite a lot on social media. In a match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he clocked a top speed of 156.7 kmph and took everyone by surprise. Delivering that fast at a tender age and also scalping a few wickets made him a player to watch out for ahead. He, too, has lacked the rub of the green in his strides and has dealt with injuries very frequently. 

Mark Wood

The English quick is one of the fastest bowlers in the world and among only a few who possess the ability to turn the tide in his team's favour purely by fiery pace bowling. He sprints like an athlete and delivers fire. At times, his absence from the England team make their attack look bleak and without any venom. Of late, his improved fitness has made him play a lot more matches than he used to in the past, and that is good for the game itself. During the test tour of Pakistan in 2022, he bowled a ball at 156.6 kmph and became the fastest bowler in England's history. He has taken 255 wickets across formats for his nation yet. 

Anrich Nortje

The South African right-arm speedster has an average bowling speed of around 150 kmph. His bowling resonates with business, and so does his serious looks. Playing for the Delhi Capitals and bowling to Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler, he sent waves across the world by recording a gobsmacking speed of 156.22 kmph. The Protea pacer, however, has been less economical over the years and has gone for a few in his overs on numerous occasions. Injuries have pegged him back quite a lot. He currently bowls quick but needs to be smart enough in disguising the batters to sustain himself further in the game. 

Kagiso Rabada

Another bowler hailing from South Africa is an all-format player for the National side. Known for his consistency, Rabada has been a go-to bowler for whichever team he has played in, at all levels. He might lack express pace when compared to other bowlers in the list, but if coupled with the right line and lengths, it apparently seems quite threatening. In IPL 2019, he produced a delivery having a speed of 154.23 kmph. Kagiso has 327 test wickets to his name. 

Jofra Archer

The Caribbean-born pacer became eligible to play for England in 2019 and was fast-tracked into the National side just before the ODI World Cup scheduled in the same year. This news sent seismic waves across the cricket world, and Jofra Archer has been associated with sheer pace since his inception. His raw speed and unparalleled accuracy make it a nightmare for opposition batters, and time and again, he has displayed that. 2019 was a glorious year for him, and he made his name by performing impressively well in the World Cup and the Ashes. 

Mohammad Shami

The Indian pace bowler is known to have the best seam position of the ball. He makes the ball talk at his own will, seaming and swinging notoriously. Delivered at a great pace, it becomes extremely difficult for the batters to negotiate his overs and spells, especially in the longest format of the game. His action is flawless and equivalent to poetry in cricket. His skills affirm the fact that fast bowling is all about rhythm. For India, Shami has struck 462 times across the three formats.