Call them lethal guns or a pace spearhead, pace bowlers sets the cricket games ablaze. Watching these bowlers taking a long run up and delivering the ball at the rocket-speed is a treat for cricket fans. And what when the ball swings, edges after deceiving the batsman and is carried over the slip! The game of cricket has undergone many changes. With the game getting increasingly competitive, and the batsmen more powerful, bowlers are breaking newer speed records. Today, let us glance through the fastest bowler in India.
While the country has been famous for creating World-class spinners, pacers have always taken a back seat. However, that is not true today. Over challenging away tours, India’s pace attack has started making a point. The speedsters are not only consistent but incisive as well. On that note, we advise our readers to pad up; wear your safety gears and face this 10 fastest bowler in India in all formats!
Irfan Pathan
Who was the bowler who took the hat-trick in a Test match against Pakistan on their soil? Â Irfan Pathan. This record is still exclusive. A replica of Wasim Akram, Irfan caught attention of millions with his left-arm bowling action. His ability to swing the ball both ways and his accuracy with line and length helped him become a regular in the team before frequent injuries played spoilsport and ended his career early. He became famous through his stellar swing bowling and his handy batting skills. He was a vital clog in major series victories in the first decade of this era.
Mohammed Shami
We know you must have not notice the speed meter when Mohammed Shami bowls. But the right-arm fast bowler clocks speed above 140 kmph. Mohammed Shami is of the finest reverse swing bowlers in today’s era, he never fails to perform for his team in the white jersey. Over the years, he has improved a lot and as a result he is one of the finest performers in shorter versions of the game too. His ability to swing the ball in two directions makes him a huge asset for the Indian team.
Zaheer Khan
We know you were waiting for this name. To be honest, Zaheer Khan was the one who carried forward India’s fast bowling legacy after Kapil Dev. The lethal left-hander, at his peak, intimidated the best of batsmen with his faultless swing. Frequent injuries forced him to drop to sit out in many tournaments. During his initial years, he overcame the hurdle at the speed of 140 kmph. Zaheer has 610 wickets from 309 international games in his kitty.
Javagal Srinath
Ask your father ‘who is the fastest bowler’, his answer probably have this name. The calm and composed Javagal Srinath ranks seventh here. Srinath was key component of Indian squad in the 1990s. He bagged total 551 wickets from 296 internationals. Javagal Srinath was second only to Kapil Dev in number of Test wickets by an Indian quick.
Ishant Sharma
He is a six feet four inches monster and many batsmen in the world are scared of him! You guessed it right. We are talking about Ishant Sharma who ranks sixth in the list of top 10 fast bowler in India. Our country won at Lord’s Cricket Ground in 2014 after 28 years. Courtesy: Brilliant spell of Ishant Sharma. His inswinging deliveries have proved to be a headache for all the batsmen. Ishant’s consistent line and length never allow the batsmen to rotate the strike often.
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Ashish Nehra
Ashish Nehra retired from all forms of cricket last year, was one of the deadliest Indian pacers who played for nearly two decades. Who can forget the six wicket haul against England in 2003 World Cup! Due to his unconventional way of bowling, Nehra grabbed the attention of many. However, he faced many problems in his career due to his fitness levels. Nehra finished his long and magnificent career with 235 wickets from 164 international games. He ranks fifth in the list.
Umesh Yadav
Ranking fourth in the list of fastest bowler in India is the man who worked hard on his accuracy, swing and fitness. He is none other than Umesh Yadav. One of India’s best fast bowlers, Umesh Yadav recorded the third fastest delivery by an Indian. No wonder he regularly touches 150 kmph mark frequently. During an away ODI series in Sri Lanka, Umesh touched 152.2 kmph on the speed meter. Specialty about this guy is he brings pace as well as precision in his spell. He is also one of the most economical bowlers especially in T20 games.
Varun Aaron
You blink and his delivery is gone passed through you! Considered as a lethal pacer in Indian contingent Varun Aaron stands third in our list. Although he has played only 18 international games, Aaron has as many as 29 wickets. He, at times was way too expensive. However, his consistency of bowling at a speed beyond 140 kmph makes him stand out. However, he wasn’t very accurate with the delivery so couldn’t fix his place in the squad.
Mohammad Nisar
We bet only handful of cricket fans must have heard the legendary name of Muhammad Nisar. According to several reports, he was arguably the India’s fastest bowler. In India’s maiden Test at Lord’s in 1932, Nissar, debuted and ended with 5 for 93. Interesting fact: 13 of his 25 wickets came through bowled and leg-before. Nisar was a part of the side that also contained legends like CK Nayudu, the brothers Nazir Ali and Wazir Ali, apart his famous bowling partner, Amar Singh.
Jasprit Bumrah
No doubt India’s front-line bowler, Jasprit Bumrah is here and hence ranks first in the list of fastest bowler in India.  Bumrah’s ability to bowl inch-perfect yorkers in the death overs has provided India an really economical bowler in the death overs. Moreover, his quick bouncers and slower ones often deceive the batsmen. He has never let Indian team down especially on foreign land with his deliveries clocking the speed over 140 kmph. The world first saw his ‘awkward’ bowling action when he played his stint in Indian Premier League’s club Mumbai Indians. It’s not surprising that the Punjabi lad is also the World’s No.1 pacer in ODIs in ICC rankings.
