Who is the fastest bowler in India? Top 20 fastest bowlers in India in all formats with Career Statistics

Watching cricket becomes a sensational experience when a batsman on the crease positions himself in an upright stance to face the incredible Indian fast bowlers. Today’s Indian cricket team bowlers are some of the best in the world. Ask any fan, and he or she would be more than happy to present you with a list of Indian fast bowlers. Some might even say, pacers are taking over spinners as they are India’s best fast bowlers of all time. So, do you know who are the best bowlers in India? If you don’t, you will get to know about the best Indian pace bowlers as you go through the article. On completing the read, you would be able to answer questions like who is the best fast bowler in India as of today or who is the fastest Indian bowler in cricket history.

fastest bowlers of India
fastest bowlers of India

Without further ado, let’s match the bowling speed of Indian bowlers as you scroll down the list of Indian fast bowlers. Here is a list of the top 15 Indian fast bowlers of all time: 

Table of Contents

17. Ajit Agarkar

Ajit Agarkar’s Career Statistics

FormatMInnBMdnRunsWBBEconAvgSR4W5W
Test2646748571682745586/413.3947.352.801
ODI1911269948480212886/425.0727.8580.62102
T20I43638532/108.0928.33136.3600
IPL42227821792925/28.8339.7116.230
1st class1101813291792996/413.0330.6960.612
List A27013322109904206/184.9526.1631.7113
T20626011721608473/258.2334.2124.900
Career Statistics Ajit Agarkar SOURCE: Google Search

Ajit Agarkar’s Fastest ball: 145.5 km/h

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Ajit Bhalchandra Agarkar, He has played in over 200 international matches for India in all three areas of the game. He is India’s third highest wicket-taker in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and has represented the nation in the 1999 and 2007 Cricket World Cups. He captained Mumbai to its 40th Ranji Trophy title in 2013 while playing for the  Delhi Capitals and the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. In 1998, he made his Test and ODI debuts, and in 2006, he made his T20I debut.

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16. Shivam Mavi

Shivam Mavi’s Career Statistics

FormatMatInnsMdnBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w
IPL32326492942304/218.7031.421.610
FC6121068540255/686/8321.603.0342.731
List A292813081101455/735/7324.465.0529.031
T2039397991137364/214/2131.588.5322.110
Indian bowler Shivam Mavi’s Career Statistics

Fastest ball by Shivam Mavi: 149.3 km/h

Shivam Mavi is the best fast bowler in India for first-class cricket. He is best remembered for his 5-wicket hall in his second first-class match. Shivam rose to prominence after delivering mesmerising performances for the KKR team in the IPL. He hopes to one day lead the Indian cricket team’s bowlers. Without his name, the list of Indian fast bowlers would be incomplete.

15. S. Sreesanth

Sreesanth’s Career Statistics

FormatMInnBMdnRunsWBBEconAvgSR4W5W
Test275054191623271875/403.6237.662.343
ODI53522476162508756/556.0733.433.021
T20I109204228872/128.4741.129.100
1st class741311318243676512135/403.4835.9261.896
List A928544364142231246/555.7135.735.752
T206559130061813543/298.3633.5724.000
Indian bowler Sreesanth’s Career Statistics

Fastest ball by S. Sreesanth: 149.3 km/h

First Kerala Ranji player to have ever played T20 cricket from the Indian side, S. Sreesanth still remains a famous pacer. Sensational bowling against the glorious Australian team made Sreesanth among the best Indian cricket team bowlers. No doubt, he finds a place in the list of best Indian fast bowlers.

14. R.P Singh

R.P Singh Career Statistics

FormatMInnBMdnRunsWBBEconAvgSR4W5W
Test14252534591682405/593.9842.063.431
ODI58572565312343694/355.4834.037.220
T20I1091980225154/136.8115.013.210
1st class941641719258592023016/503.2130.657.11312
List A13613463788054601905/305.1428.733.663
T201321312903436381465/87.5224.919.931
Indian bowler R.P Singh Career Statistics.

Fastest ball by R.P Singh: 147 km/h

Among the former Indian cricket team bowlers, RP Singh remains the most memorable. His incredible pace of bowling stood unmatched even the best in his days. Ranking next to Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar at times, RP Singh was the best fast bowler in India at his peak. To date, his Test debut against Pakistan where he took a 5-wicket haul is one the best episodes in cricket history.

13. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar Fast Bowlers of India
Indian bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar’s Career Statistics

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w
Test213733481644636/828/9626.092.9453.134
ODI121120584749511415/425/4235.115.0841.441
T20I595912531460585/245/2425.176.9921.611
IPL145145325039491545/195/197.2925.6421.101
FC701231239357852186/779/10326.532.8056.8912
List A168165814465832085/425/4231.644.8439.161
T20220220485558042245/195/1925.917.1721.632
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Career Statistics. Source: Espncricinfo

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Fastest ball: 140 km/h

A leading inspiration to the budding Indian cricket team bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is better known as Bhuvi. The right-arm medium pacer, well known for his in-swings, always ranks among the best Indian pace bowlers. He holds an extraordinary record of becoming the first Indian bowler to take 5-wicket haul in all formats of modern-day cricket. He finds a spot among the Indian fast bowlers, though being a medium pacer because he bowled at a speed of 140 km per hour.

12. Jasprit Bumrah

india best fast bowlers all time Jasprit Bumrah
Indian best fast bowlers all time: Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah Career Statistics:

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w
Test2956605226731236/279/8621.732.6549.228
ODI7070370328731135/275/2725.424.6532.751
T20I575612291333673/113/1119.896.5018.300
IPL119119271833551425/105/107.4123.6319.1401
FC571021131850362156/279/8623.422.6652.6514
List A9595505837741655/275/2722.874.4730.682
T20206205462054082505/105/1021.637.0218.421
Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah Career Statistics. Source: Espncricinfo

Fastest ball by Jasprit Bumrah: 153 km/h

The Bumrah Brilliant is the fastest bowler in India as of 2019. Debuting in the 2015-16 series against Australia, Bumrah soon became the best fast bowler in India beating all others. He holds the record of being the first Indian fast bowler to take 5 wickets in South Africa, England, and Australia in the same year. Moreover, he clocked a bowling speed of over 153 km per hour to rank among the fastest bowlers of today.

11. Mohammed Nisar

Mohammed Nisar Career Statistics:

FormatM               Inn           B             Mdn           Runs          W           BB           Econ           Avg         SR           4W                5W                                                                               
Test                6               11           1211             34           707          25           5/90           48.44           28.3         3.5           0                3
Mohammed Nisar Career Statistics

Mohammed Nisar Fastest ball: 150 km/h

We’re guessing that only a few cricket fans have heard of Muhammad Nisar. According to various reports, he was India’s fastest bowler. Nissar made his debut in India’s first Test at Lord’s in 1932, finishing with 5 for 93. Interesting fact: 13 of his 25 wickets came via bowled and leg-before deliveries. Nisar was part of a team that included legends such as CK Nayudu, the brothers Nazir Ali, and Wazir Ali, as well as his famous bowling partner, Amar Singh.

10. Varun Aaron

Indian Pace Attack Varun Aaron
Indian Pace Attack: Varun Aaron

Varun Aaron Career Statistics

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w
Test9141189947183/973/9752.614.7766.000
ODI99380419113/243/2438.096.6134.500
IPL52509941481443/163/168.9433.6622.5900
FC6399950854811676/328/5332.823.4556.976
List A7372344631281156/376/3727.205.4429.933
T20898717992583893/163/1629.028.6120.200
Indian bowler Varun Aaron Career Statistics. Source: Espncricinfo

Fastest ball by Varun Aaron: 152.5 km/h

His smooth run-up followed by a deer-like jump gets him the perfect body movement to deliver balls at high speed. Clocking his best at 152.5 km /h, Varun is probably one of the best Indian pace bowlers of today. His name constantly appears on the elite list of Indian fast bowlers. Some might even say that he is the best Indian fast bowler as of today.

9. Umesh Yadav

Indian Pacers Umesh Yadav
Indian Pacers: Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav Career Statistics

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w
Test52102823548671586/8810/13330.803.5452.153
ODI7573355835651064/314/3133.636.0133.540
T20I7715021992/192/1924.338.7616.600
IPL132131278638841354/234/238.3628.7720.6400
FC1021871708294633277/4812/7928.933.3252.21115
List A118116568254511645/265/2633.235.7534.641
T20162160339846281665/185/1827.878.1720.431
Indian bowler Umesh Yadav Career Statistics. Source: Espncricinfo

Umesh Yadav Fastest ball: 152.2 km/h

The highest wicket-taker for India in the ICC World Cup of 2015, Umesh is undoubtedly among the most incredible Indian fast bowlers. Playing domestically since 2008, Umesh has many records to his name. Many Indian cricket team bowlers highly regard his consistency in high-speed bowling. Once, Umesh broke Stephen Fleming’s record of the highest strike rate in a Test inning. Many might consider him to be the best fast bowler in India for this very reason.

8. Ashish Nehra

Best Fast Bowlers of India Ashish Nehra
Best Fast Bowlers of India: Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra Career Statistics

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w
Test172934471866444/726/11742.403.2478.320
ODI120120575149811576/236/2331.725.1936.652
T20I2727588758343/193/1922.297.7317.200
IPL8888190824951064/104/107.8523.5418.000
FC901696688323037/1429.143.1255.914
List A201970180862456/236/2333.005.0039.592
T20132132284536531624/104/1022.547.7017.520
Ashish Nehra Career Statistics. Source: Espncricinfo

Ashish Nehra Fastest ball: 149.7 km/h

Fans call him Nehra Ji, and he actually deserves showering love and respect. After all, He is the second oldest player to represent India in T20 International. Even though he remained a subject to criticism for his injuries, some still find Nehra to be the best fast bowler in India. An inspiration to the Indian cricket team bowlers at present, Nehra always ranks high in the list of Indian fast bowlers.

7. Ishant Sharma

Indian Cricket Team Fast Bowler Ishant Sharm
Indian Cricket Team Fast Bowler: Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma Career Statistics

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w
Test10518819160100783117/7410/10832.403.1561.61011
ODI8078373335631154/344/3430.985.7232.460
T20I141427840082/342/3450.008.6334.700
IPL939319972701725/125/128.1237.5127.7401
FC15126826946137424827/2411/5128.513.0555.92116
List A123120583451541785/215/2128.955.3032.7101
T20141141302639381125/125/1235.167.8027.011
Ishant Sharma Career Statistics. Source:Espncricinfo

Fastest ball by Ishant Sharma: 152.6 km/h

Sharma was the reason why India could win at the Lord’s in 2014, after 28 long years. The giant of the Indian cricket, Ishant Sharma is undoubtedly one of the best Indian pacers of all time. The right-arm pacer clocked his fastest against Ricky Poting in a Test match during December 2011.

6. Javagal Srinath

fastest ball by indian bowler
fastest ball by indian bowler: Javagal Srinath

Javagal Srinath Career Statistics:

FormatMInnBMdnRunsWBBEconAvgSR4W5W
Test671211510459771962368/862.8530.564.0810
ODI2292271193513788473155/234.4428.137.973
1st class147251286181091140275339/762.9426.353.72223
List A29028714981192106844075/234.2826.236.894
Javagal Srinath Career Statistics. SOURCE: Google Search

Fastest ball by Indian bowler: Javagal Srinath(154.5 km/h)

The best fast bowler in India till date is none other than Javagal Srinath. Leading the Indian pace attack for straight nine years, Srimath tops the list of Indian fast bowlers. Today’s Indian cricket team bowlers time and again watch his bowling style to improve on their bit. Even after so many years since his retirement, Srinath still remains the only Indian fast bowler to take 300 wickets in ODI International.

5. Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan Best Fast Bowlers of India
Best Fast Bowlers of India: Zaheer Khan. Image Credits: Godofsmallthing

Zaheer Khan Career Statistics

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w
Test9216518785102473117/8710/14932.943.2760.41511
ODI2001971009783012825/425/4229.434.9335.871
T20I1717352448174/194/1926.357.6320.710
IPL10099220027821024/174/1727.277.5921.5700
FC16934279187996729/13827.973.2951.035
List A25312745104043575/425/4229.144.8935.7101
T20138137304438021394/174/1727.357.4921.820
Zaheer Khan StatisticsSource: Espncricinfo

Zaheer Khan fastest ball: 145.1 kmph

One name that always shines bright among the best Indian pace bowlers of all time- Zaheer Khan. He is considered the second-best Indian fast bowler in the history of Test cricket. Every list of Indian fast bowlers mentions the name Zaheer Khan in golden letters. The 2011 Arjuna Awardee always makes a special space in our memory for his incredible bowling in the world cup of the same year. Every list of Indian fast bowlers essentially mentions Zaheer Khan.

4. Navdeep Saini

Navdeep Saini Career Statistics

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w
Test2425117242/544/11943.004.1162.700
ODI8842048162/582/5880.166.8770.000
T20I119197235133/173/1718.077.1515.100
IPL3030622900202/2445.08.6831.100
FC5391875242641486/327/7928.812.9259.144
List A555528132477815/465/4630.585.2834.721
T20686614341783563/173/1731.837.4625.600
Indian bowler Navdeep Saini Career Statistics.

Fastest ball by Navdeep Saini: 152.85 km/h

Navdeep Amarjeet Saini is a cricketer from India. He has been with Delhi since 2013. In August 2019, he made his international debut for the Indian cricket team. In June 2018, he was named to India’s Test squad as a replacement for Mohammed Shami for a one-off match against Afghanistan, but he did not play. He was named a standby bowler for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in April 2019. He was named to India’s ODI and Twenty20 International (T20I) squads for the series against the West Indies. On August 3, 2019, he made his T20I debut against the West Indies. In his four overs, he took three wickets, including Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer in two consecutive deliveries.

3. Mohammad Shami

Mohammad Shami Indian Pace Attack
Indian Pace Attack: Mohammad Shami

Mohammad Shami Career Statistics

FormatMInnBMdnRunsWBBEconAvgSR4W5W
Test591121060527157892146/563.2727.0549.5116
ODI797839303937931485/695.6225.6227.391
T20I17172380568183/389.5431.5519.800
IPL4949103201547403/218.9938.725.800
1st class831561373846184383177/793.2426.6149.11212
List A11010954504951052055/695.5024.9027.1131
T201301301730238401544/248.2424.9318.110
Mohammad Shami Career Statistics. SOURCE: Google Search

Mohammad Shami Fastest ball: 146 km/h

The fastest Indian bowler to take 100 ODI wickets, Shami continues to be a favorable choice among the Indian cricket team bowlers. On his ODI debut against Pakistan, he bowled a memorable 4 over maiden. Since then he has continued to find a suitable spot in the team. Shami’s surprising swings puzzle even the greatest of batsmen today. Consequently, he appears in the list of best Indian fast bowlers.

Trending in Google Search: Jasprit Bumrah and his transparent underwear: Trolls and Bumrah Epic reply

2. Irfan Pathan

Best Fast Bowlers of India
Best Fast Bowlers of India: Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan Career Statistics

FormatMInnBMdnRunsWBBEconAvgSR4W5W
Test2954588421232261007/593.2832.358.827
ODI12011858555351421735/275.2629.733.852
T20I24234621618283/168.0222.116.500
IPL1031012043102649803/247.7733.125.500
1st class12220421034735108803847/353.1028.354.81619
List A19319093659478982725/275.0629.034.472
T2018117536061345681735/137.6026.220.721
Irfan Pathan Career Statistics. SOURCE: Google Search

Fastest ball by Irfan Pathan: 153.7 km/h

The emerging player of the year 2004, Irfan set the standard for the Indian fast bowlers yet to come. When India won the inaugural World T20 in 2007, Irfan was the one to dismiss 3 power-batsmen from Pakistan. A legendary bowler who at the peak of his bowling career became the first Indian fast bowler to take three wickets in the first over of a test match. No doubt, his tremendous speed bowling got him a spot in the list of Indian fast bowlers.

1. Umran Malik

Fastest Indian bowler Umraan Malik
Fastest Indian bowler Umraan Malik

Umran Malik Career Statistics

Fastest Indian Bowler: Umran Malik (157 km/h)

FormatMatInnsBallsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR4w5w
IPL1616354516235/25 22.48.7415.411
FC3534828973/894/12141.284.9849.700
List A11609811/981/9898.009.8060.000
T202121474693325/255/2521.658.7714.821
Indian bowler Umran Malik Career Statistics. Source: Google Search

Umran Malik was born on November 22, 1999. He is a J&K-based Indian cricketer. On January 18, 2021, Umar made his T20 debut. He was representing Jammu and Kashmir in the 2020–21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. On February 27, 2021, the young cricketer made his List A debut for Jammu & Kashmir in the 2020–21 Vijay Hazare Trophy.  Umar Malik got lucky when the Sunrisers Hyderabad named him as a short-term Covid-19 replacement for T. Natarajan in September 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best fast bowler in India?

Bumrah has become a valuable weapon in limited-overs cricket because of his ability to bowl accurate yorkers and surprise the opposition with variations in the last overs. His biggest influence has, however, been felt in Test cricket, where he has established himself as a crucial part of India’s strategy, particularly while playing on hostile territory. During the first Test match of the 2018 Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, he recorded a speed of 153.26 kph. With 21 wickets, Bumrah finished the series tied for the most wickets taken, aiding India in their historic series victory in Australia.

Who is the fastest bowler in Indian cricket history?

157 kph Umran Malik
Before the IPL 2022 super auction, SRH kept three players, including him. Umran Malik has already established himself as one of the season’s top performers in his first full IPL season in 2022. Malik has achieved speeds of 153.3 kph, 153.1 kph, 153 kph, 152.9 kph, 152.6 kph, 152.4 kph, 152.3 kph, and 152 kph while working with renowned pace bowler Dale Steyn, who is a member of SRH’s backroom staff.

At the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, he recorded a speed of 157 kph while playing against the Delhi Capitals. The fastest ball bowled by an Indian in the IPL, it is only second in speed to Shaun Tait’s all-time record-breaking delivery in the Indian Premier League.

Who is the fastest bowler in India 2019?

Jasprit Bumrah is the fastest bowler in India as of 2019. During the first Test match of the 2018 Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, he recorded a speed of 153.26 kph. With 21 wickets, Bumrah finished the series tied for the most wickets taken, aiding India in their historic series victory in Australia.

Who are the best bowlers in India?

Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Anil Kumble (956 wickets), Kapil Dev (687 wickets), Harbhajan Singh (665 wickets), Zaheer Khan (573 wickets),  Javagal Srinath (551 wickets), and Mohammad Shami are some of the best bowlers in India.

Who is the fastest bowler in cricket history?

Pakistani Shoaib Akhtar (161.3 kmph)
In the 2003 World Cup match against England, Akhtar delivered a 161.3 kmph (100.2 mph) delivery towards Nick Knight, who was defending the ball on the leg side, breaking the 100 mph barrier for the first time in cricket history.

Who is the slowest bowler in the world?

When Majid Haq was bowling with the wind in his favor, he simply had a time of 41.6 miles per hour. The current holder of this dubious record is Scotland’s off-spinner Majid Haq, who is 32 years old and is currently fighting for his country in the World Cup.

Who is the world’s fastest bowler now?

With an astounding average speed of 143.2 kph, Mitchell Starc of Australia, a left-arm fast bowler, is the second-fastest bowler in the world right now, behind only the top bowler by 0.1 kph. In 2015, he bowled with a speed of 160.4 km/h against Ross Taylor of New Zealand. 2017 June 10 saw a Champions Trophy match at Edgbaston. Starc, who is a super-fast bowler as well, also grabbed a wicket during this game. Starc has led Australia’s bowling attack with Pat Cummins, continuing the legacy of Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, and Jason Gillespie.

6 thoughts on “Who is the fastest bowler in India? Top 20 fastest bowlers in India in all formats with Career Statistics

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  • October 26, 2020 at 5:19 pm
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    Dude the videos show much lower speed. In some of the videos there is no speed mentioned. This is just a very vague way to compare speed.
    Irfan Pathan who was just medium pace and bowls at around 110kmph and you put him much above his speed. Irfan Pathan was good at swinging the ball in the air before it landed and then off the seam after landing. Both of this happening together is very difficult to handle.
    Some of our best bowlers were:
    Javalgal Srinath
    AshishNehra
    Sreesanth
    Mohmmed Sami
    Bumhra
    All of them bowl at the approximately the same speed – 140+. Javalgal Srinath used to produce nippy & higher bounce even on Indian pitches and he was almost unplayable towards the end of his career. He was faster than Allan Donald & Glen McGrath.
    Bumhra, like Srinath is almost unplayable in the right conditions.
    Mohmmed Sami generates the most consistent speed of all of them and bowls regularly over 140s.
    So as the fastest Mohmmed Sami should get the prize.
    [B] India has had just 3 great bowlers – Javalgal, Bumhra & Sami.[\B]

    Reply
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  • August 18, 2021 at 3:59 pm
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    I love to read articles on this website, You write some interesting facts about cricket.

    Reply
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