Cricket fans are as passionate about pace as they are about sixes, and nowhere is this more reflected than in the IPL’s list of bowlers who have delivered the single fastest ball ever – a highlight reel that features names, numbers and moments of exhilarating athleticism. From Shaun Tait’s ancient shocker to the modern missiles of Ferguson, Coetzee and Umran Malik, the IPL has been a platform for extreme speed. And this long essay draws on original reporting in order to clear up some of the questionable readings, and make sense of both lists (you can also read my take on all 20 bowlers here) as well as the list beyond it: What do these speeds mean, who are these young guns making their assault on T20 cricket history, and how did they rewrite IPL narratives?
Why T20s and IPL are a Batman’s game?
A 150+ km/h delivery in T20 cricket is a beast other than Test matches. In the IPL:
- Batsmen seek rhythm and big shots, so raw pace can set them up for skied drives.
- Short boundaries and big-hitting combine with pace to create highlight-reel moments, as well as nervous ones for batsmen.
- Quicker bowlers were fetching a premium at auctions – teams sought out raw pace to keep unsettle top-order hitters.
So this exercise on finding the fastest delivery in IPL history 2008 to 2025 is also a stats exercise and a way of celebrating the transition from pace being scarce to pace aplenty – in as many words.
Official top-of-the-chart claims (key facts)
- Shaun Tait (Rajasthan Royals) – it is a largely believed that the fastest clocked bowl in IPL: 157.71 km/h (2011). This figure is often listed in listicles and roundups of IPL pace.
- Mayank Yadav (LSG/244th season) was the best in top speed charts for IPL 2024 with deliveries in Excess of 156.7 km/h and other 150+ reading of the excess of season.
- 2025 season also did fast balls – And Lockie Ferguson clocked one of the fastest balls of IPL 2025 (reported ~153.2 km/h when early in the season), so it’s not like the modern IPL is doesn’t continue to regularly see 150+ efforts.
Disputed/uncorroborated claims There are many disputed or outright false claims according to official Hawk-Eye & IPL stat records, one of the most common claim is Morné Morkel bowled a 173.9 In KMPH ball in IPL 2013 but there is no source enough for this, only some anecdotal sources where commentators were gabbing that he is at that speed. We observe these types of assertions with plenty of caution.
Top 10 Fastest Delivery in IPL History (2008 – 2025) – Verified & Widely Reported list
Table: Name | Speed (km/h) | Year | Team (when bowled) – sources summarized below the table.
| Rank | Bowler | Speed(km/h) | Year | Team |
| 1 | Shaun Tait | 157.71 | 2011 | Rajasthan Royals |
| 2 | Gerald Coetzee | 157.4 | 2024 | (career/RCB in 2024 lists) |
| 3 | Lockie Ferguson | 157.3 | 2022/2025 seasons (various top speeds) | |
| 4 | Umran Malik | 157.0 | 2022 | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 5 | Mayank Yadav | 156.7 | 2024 | Lucknow Super Giants / RCB matches |
| 6 | Anrich Nortje | 156.22 | 2020 | Delhi Capitals / SRH encounters |
| 7 | Gerald Coetzee | 155+ (multiple) | 2024 | – |
| 8 | Mayank Yadav | 155.8 | 2024 | – |
| 9 | (Others: Jofra Archer, Kagiso Rabada, Lockie Ferguson variants) | 152–154 | 2019–2025 | Various |
Table construction notes: radars vary (slightly) also in their decimals reported and some bowlers have entries repeated for the same speed (e.g., Mayank Yadav and Gerald Coetzee both recorded a delivery of 155–157 km/h in 2024). The fastest IPL delivery of all time stands at 157.71km/h by Shaun Tait – a unanimous pick amongst us.
Expanded – Top 20 fastest deliveries in IPL history (2008-2025)
Below is an expanded list compiled from cricket trackers, IPL stats pages and season roundups. Speeds here are rounded to the nearest decimal as reported by those sources; where multiple entries exist for the same bowler we include the top reading.
Because long lists are best digested visually, here’s a condensed table of the Top 20 fastest deliveries in IPL history (2008–2025):
| Sr. | Bowler | Top recorded speed (km/h) | Year(s) |
| 1 | Shaun Tait | 157.71 | 2011 |
| 2 | Gerald Coetzee | 157.4 | 2024 |
| 3 | Lockie Ferguson | 157.3 | 2022 / 2025 |
| 4 | Umran Malik | 157.0 | 2022 |
| 5 | Mayank Yadav | 156.7 | 2024 |
| 6 | Anrich Nortje | 156.2 | 2020 |
| 7 | Gerald Coetzee | 155–156 | 2024 |
| 8 | Mayank Yadav | 155.8 | 2024 |
| 9 | Anrich Nortje | 155+ | 2021–2023 |
| 10 | Jofra Archer | 153–154 | multiple |
| 11 | Lockie Ferguson | 153.2 | 2025 (season high) |
| 12 | Kagiso Rabada | 152–153 | multiple |
| 13 | Alzarri Joseph | 151–152 | 2024 |
| 14 | Matheesha Pathirana | 150–151 | 2024 |
| 15-20 | Other quicks (Nortje variants, overseas pacers, top Indian quicks) | 149–150+ | 2009–2025 |
Sources & methodology: This top-20 combines season leaderboards (IPL official stats pages), cricket trackers and reputable outlets that log radar speeds and publish season-by-season lists. Exact decimals can vary by outlet; we present the consensus best figures.
The Disputed 173.9 km/h Claim (Morné Morkel) – what’s the deal?
One video clip and some old articles floating around suggest that Morné Morkel bowled a stomach churning 173.9 km/h in an IPL game circa 2013. However:
- This is anecdotal and not recorded in official Hawk-Eye or IPL speed records.
- Notable stat compilations and prominent cricket publications do not carry a 173.9 km/h Indian Premier League delivery in their verified lists.
- The probable reason: incorrect radar reads, video overlay texts marked wrong, unauthorized speed estimates posted in someone’s twitter/YouTube. Unless an official release makes it so, call the 173.9 figure anecdotal
Fastest ball in IPL 2025 – who was fastest at the speed guns?
2025 saw plenty of big scores, too:
Lockie Ferguson and others – including a pair of 153.2km/h reading reports in the early weeks of IPL 2025 – delivered some of the fastest balls so far this season. Now, there are regularly several bowlers breaking 153km/h due to fitness, fast-bowling programs and a new generation of speedsters.
Indian quicks & the fastest ball in IPL history by Indian
Indian pacers have caught up in recent years:
- India’s best high-speed readings in IPL 2022 came from Umran Malik (SRH), who touched approximately 157 km/h on televised radar logs – one of the fastest Indians to consistently bowl beyond, say, 150 km/h.
- LSG / Mayank Yadav (2024) too was clocking 156.7 km/h in 2024, bringing to light the advent of Indian raw pace for good measure on top-speed conversations.
FAQs – Quick Answers
Q-1: What is the fastest ball delivery registered in IPL history (2008-2025)?
A: It’s Shaun Tait’s 157.71 km/h from 2011 – which is commonly held to be the fastest recorded ball in IPL history.
Q-2: Has anyone delivered 170+ km/h in IPL?
A: There are social-media claims about Morné Morkel’s 173.9km/h delivery, but that number is not borne out in official IPL/Hawk-Eye stat records and should be treated as an unverified speed.
Q-4: Who bowled the fastest ball in IPL 2025?
A: Yes, early reports in the season of 2025 indicated that Lockie Ferguson was one of the fastest bowlers of that season and his top speeds were reported as close to 153.2 km/h; leaderboards updated throughout tournament.
Q-5: Fastest delivery bowled by an Indian in the IPL?
A: Umran Malik (2022 – 157 km/h) and Mayank Yadav (2024 – 156.7 km/h) are some of the fastest by Indian bowlers in IPL from India so far.
How the data were compiled – A short methods note
We used official IPL stats pages, season leaderboards and respected cricket news outlets with radar-measured speeds (Wisden, Indian Express, CricTracker, Wisden’s IPL roundups). Radar Rounding and variance in stadium radar placements create sub-decimal differences among outlets, so we use consensus values from the few reputable sources available.
Final thoughts: The drama of the fastest ball in IPL history
Whether you are a stathead looking for that fraction or someone who simply enjoys the drama of watching a batsman retreat to an 150+ km/h bouncer, the IPL’s fastest delivery in history captures one aspect of cricket that should always remain captivating – raw speed. From Shaun Tait’s then world record to Gerald Coetzee’s conclusion-second-to-none and more recent sprays by men like Umran Malik, Lockie Ferguson and others, the IPL speed metre is now one off modern game’s most fascinating sidebars of the tournament. Keep an eye on the radar, revel in his raw athleticism and make sure you are watching each IPL season’s top-10 or top-20 lists, because the next quickest ball in IPL history might roar down any stretch of play, any over, and alter cricket conversation instantly.