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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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. 

According to recent reports, Team India might leave out experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami from the squad for the upcoming Test series against England. The final team will likely be announced on Saturday, and Shami could miss out due to fitness concerns.

As reported by Express Sports, Shami hasn’t fully recovered after his surgery and hasn’t passed the fitness tests set by the BCCI’s medical team. The selectors are unsure if he can bowl long spells, especially in tough English conditions.

🚨 INDIAN TEST TEAM UPDATE 🚨

- Arshdeep Singh or Anshul Kamboj likely to be picked for the five-match Test series against England. [Devendra Pandey from Express Sports] pic.twitter.com/KOSfY2Sjyo

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 23, 2025

With Jasprit Bumrah also likely to be rested for at least one match to manage his workload, the team wants fast bowlers who are fully fit and can play all five Tests if needed. Because of this, the selectors are looking at some fresh names. Shami’s poor performance in the recent IPL, where he took only six wickets in nine matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad and had a high economy rate of 11.23, also works against him.

ALSO READ: IPL 2025: RCB vs SRH Match 65 - A Head to Head breakdown

In contrast, young pacers Arshdeep Singh and Anshul Kamboj have caught the eye with their strong performances in domestic cricket. Arshdeep, a left-arm bowler known for swinging the ball both ways, could be a real threat in English conditions. Meanwhile, Kamboj has been impressive in the Ranji Trophy, taking 34 wickets in just 12 innings with his consistent line and length. If picked, this will be the first time both Arshdeep and Kamboj feature in India’s Test squad a big opportunity for the rising talents.

Sunil Narine's batting troubles continued as he was bowled early in Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 15th match of IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Batting in the opening slot, Narine made 7 runs off 7 balls, including a six, before being bowled by a masterful ball from Mohammed Shami in the third over.

Sunil Narine Dismissed Early

Shami served a timely yorker outside off-stump on the third delivery of the over. Narine, in an attempt to play for room, stepped back and attempted to cut the ball to the off-side. But the ball hit an edge before his bat could land on the ground. Wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen reacted quickly, diving to the right to take a wonderful catch.

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pic.twitter.com/5qEfmhBF1y

— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) April 3, 2025

Sunil Narine vs Muhammed Shami in IPL.

4 : Innings
1 : Runs
9 : Balls
2 : Dissmisels pic.twitter.com/a9fyqXf15H

— Gurlabh Singh (@gurlabhsingh610) April 3, 2025

Although there was a definite edge, Narine seemed to be in a trance. The doubt came because his bat hit the ground around the same time as the ball hit the edge.

Although KKR lost initial momentum, they managed to post a decent score of 200/6 in 20 overs, giving their bowlers a good target to defend.

Mohammed Shami (Sunrisers Hyderabad - SRH)

Mohammed Shami is great at swinging the ball and taking early wickets, making him a top bowler in the powerplay. He won the Purple Cap in IPL 2023 with 28 wickets in 17 matches and will try to win it again for SRH.

MOHAMMAD SHAMI IN SRH JERSEY. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/U7UPNQNDto

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 19, 2025

ALSO READ: Who Will Hit the Longest Six in IPL 2025?

Shami is capable of ruling this ipl 2025, he trusts his skills and swinging the ball in the powerplay and he has a strong bowling team around him, and believes in his team’s success. With his experience and confidence, he has a great chance to be the best bowler in IPL 2025 and win the Purple Cap once again.

Indian Team lifted the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after defeating New Zealand in the final at the Dubai International Stadium. The tournament was played in a hybrid format India’s matches, including the semifinal and final, were held in Dubai, while the rest of the games took place in Pakistan across Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, the ICC picked Mitchell Santner as the captain of their Team of the Tournament for his brilliant captaincy in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Pakistan, the defending champions and hosts, had a tough time in the tournament, failing to win a single game. They lost their first two matches to New Zealand and India, while their last group-stage game against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain. Pakistan has a tough time in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

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ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Team of the Tournament

1. Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
   Rachin Ravindra had an outstanding tournament, scoring 251 runs at an average of 62.75, including two centuries. His brilliant performances earned him the Player of the Tournament award.

2. Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)
   Ibrahim Zadran was Afghanistan’s standout batter, scoring 216 runs at an average of 72, including a century. Unfortunately, Afghanistan’s journey ended early after their last group-stage match against Australia was washed out.

3. Virat Kohli (India)
   Virat Kohli once again showed his class, scoring an unbeaten century against Pakistan. He finished the tournament with 218 runs at an average of 54.5.

4. Shreyas Iyer (India)
   Shreyas Iyer was solid in India’s middle order, scoring 243 runs at an average of 48.6, with two crucial fifties and helping India to win the Crucial final against New Zealand.

5. KL Rahul (wk) (India)
   KL Rahul made valuable contributions both with the bat and behind the stumps. He scored 140 runs at an incredible average of 140, with his highest score being 42*. His unbeaten knock in the final against New Zealand played a big role in India’s victory.

6. Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)
   Glenn Phillips was one of the best fielders in the tournament, taking five catches. He also contributed with the bat, scoring 177 runs at an average of 59, and even took two wickets.

7. Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan)
   Azmatullah Omarzai was impressive with both bat and ball. He scored 126 runs at an average of 42 and picked up seven wickets, including a brilliant five-wicket haul.

8. Mitchell Santner (c) (New Zealand)
   Mitchell Santner was chosen as the captain after leading New Zealand to the final. He had a solid tournament with the ball, taking nine wickets at an average of 26.6 and an economy rate of 4.80.

9. Mohammed Shami (India)
   Mohammed Shami played a key role in India's bowling attack, picking up nine wickets in the tournament. He made a strong start with a five-wicket haul in India's opening match against Bangladesh.

10. Matt Henry (New Zealand)
    Matt Henry was one of the standout bowlers of the tournament, taking 10 wickets at an average of 16.7 with an economy of 5.32. Unfortunately, he was ruled out of the final beacuse of injury.

11. Varun Chakaravarthy (India)
    Varun Chakaravarthy was one of the brilliant spinners in the tournament. He picked up nine wickets at an average of 15.1 while keeping his economy rate at just 4.53.

    12: Axar Patel (India)
          Axar Patel was among the top all-rounders in the tournament. He took five wickets at an average of 39.2 with an economy of 4.35. He also made valuable                contributions with the bat, scoring 109 runs, including a crucial 29-run knock in the final in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

ICC squad of Champions Trophy

Rachin Ravindra, Ibrahim Zadran, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Glenn Phillips, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mitchell Santner (c), Mohammed Shami, Matt Henry, Varun Chakaravarthy, 12th player: Axar Patel

Mohammed Shami brought his mother, Anjum Ara, to Dubai so she could watch the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final from the stadium. After India’s big win in the Champions Trophy 2025, Virat Kohli showed his respect. Filled with joy, he touched the feet of Shami’s mother and took her blessings. For Shami, this moment was even more special as he had battled injuries for nearly a year before making his comeback in the Champions Trophy 2025.

This is what makes him so special man…Virat Kohli touching Mohammed Shami’s Mothers feet♥️♥️
What a man!! My 🐐 @imVkohli ♥️

#INDvsNZ #ChampionsTrophyFinal #ViratKohli𓃵 pic.twitter.com/FfpfLoU74T

— Dr RB (@bloodygloves__) March 9, 2025

Virat Kohli touched Mohammad Shami's mother's feet and clicked a picture with Shami's family. 🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/amTeurTJ4k

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 9, 2025

ALSO READ: IPL 2025: Harry Brook Withdraws from Delhi Capitals, Faces Two-Year Ban

As the Indian team celebrated their win, the players’ families joined with players and Mohammed Shami took their mother to the field. After the champagne was popped, the trophy was lifted, and photos were taken, the excitement slowly down. Then Virat Kohli met Shami’s mother. In a heartfelt moment, Kohli bowed down and touched her feet to take her blessings. Then, they took a picture together.

Indian fielders are on radar to the big final of Champions Trophy where some of the straight catches were dropped by players. New Zealand won the toss and choose to bat first, Rohit Sharma lost his straight 15 toss most by any captain. India won their all matches in this champions Trophy edition even beating New Zealand too in league phase. 

Today India's fast bowlers were really not upto the mark Shami who is the second highest wicket taker couldn't able to do much on he was taken out from opening batsman Rachin Ravindra where he lashed out boundries on him, even Hardik Pandaya who accompanied him too got some hard hits which reciprocated Rohit to move on to spinners.

Read more: Virat Kohli Suffers An Injury Scare Ahead Of Big Final Against New Zealand

Lagging In Catches Calls The Trouble

It was Shami who started the proceeding by dropping the catch it was the 6th over of the match where he was bowling to Rachin Ravindra, he tapped the ball straight to Shami which was straight forward catch, Shami missed it and injured his hand. Shami in semi-final too dropped the important catch of Travis Head.

The next catch was dropped by Shreyas Iyer same as Rachin Ravindra at the deep mid wicket. Ravindra swept Chakravarthy ball over deep and there stood Iyer who came on running and dropped at the end. That catch was in hand which just tickled at the end moment. Though India made good ground fielding contributions and took some crucial wickets too. 

The Pressure Of Final Pressurize

The pressure of the final always makes you sometimes tilt because your one mistake can take you away from the game. The same thing happened in the 35 over too where Rohit Sharma dropped Darryl Mitchell at the mid-wicket though the catch was quite a tough one but at international standards, you have to get those to acquire the trophy. Rohit Sharma extended his arms high but the effort was 100% but wasn't quite enough to take the catch. 

Read More: Former England All Rounder Moeen Ali States That ODI Format Is Worst Of All

Though it was not enough vice captain Subhman Gill made a blunder by dropping Phillips at mid wicket, where Phillips hit the shot at mid wicket and Subhman standing in shade charged over it but dropped at the end. These catch drops extended the New Zealand score to 251 where they where very behind than the par score but these small errors etched New Zealand to reach the respectable score. Now its upto India how they compose the chase. 

Indian fast bowler Mohammad Shami was wrenched with hard words by Islamic Scholar and president of All India Muslim Jamat Shahbuddin Rizvi for drinking up energy drink in the holy month of Ramzan. It all happened in the semi-finals of India vs Australia into their second innings drinks break where the pace bowler was shown drinking an energy drink. After the clip became viral it became the center point of issues. 

Shahbuddin states that Shami has done a big crime. In Islam it is said that keeping roza is a duty and its the duty of everyone whether it be man, woman, or child to keep Roza, if anyone intentionally not keeping roza, its a crime. Cricketer Mohammad Shami hasn't kept Roza. He has committed a big sin by not keeping roza. He is a traitor and will face his own deeds. But after his statments on this social media buzzed up. 

Read More: Few Of The Indian Superstars May Lose Their A+ Central Contracts

Two Much For A Controversy

Even too way annotations came some came into support and some accepted the fact that what Shami did was wrong and it gave a wrong message to the younger generation. Some stated that he is representing our country at the highest level not to drag him into politics. After those harsh comments Shahbuddin got widespread criticism. Sajid Rishidi who belongs to the All India Imam Association states that 

Those who don't know about Islam say such things pointing to Shahbuddin Rizvi he moves on by saying in Islam Muslims are the ones who travel more than 70Kms or have been out for 10-12 days and they are exempted from keeping roza, they can keep roza later.  No one has the right in Islam to call anyone a criminal. How can Shahbuddin Rizvi be so sure to say Shami isn't keeping Roza? They should know before speaking.

Read More: Once Again The Topic Of Disadvantage Ignites In Champions Trophy 2025

Shama Mohammad Creates An Escape Route

Even Shami coach Badruddin has lashed out that these people always speak as they think scholars do not know the situation or the thing. Shami had a great outing against Australia claiming 3 wickets and paved India to reach the finals of the Champions Trophy for the fifth time. After all this congress spokesperson also came in support of Mohammad Shami. 

#WATCH | Delhi | On Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami, Congress leader Shama Mohamed says, "...In Islam, there is a very important thing during Ramzan. When we are travelling, we don't need to fast (Roza), so Mohammed Shami is travelling and he's not at his place. He's playing… pic.twitter.com/vdBttgFbRY

— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2025

She was the same person who said Rohit Sharma doesn't look like a cricketer anymore he has put a lot of weight and it gives a bad message to youngsters who take up the game. She states that In Islam, there is a very important thing during Ramzan. When we are travelling, we don't need to fast (Roza), so Mohammed Shami is travelling and he's not at his place. He's playing a sport where he can be very thirsty. Nobody insists that when you're playing a sport, you have to fast. It is your deeds which are very important. 

Mohammad Shami wants to revoke the ban on using saliva on the ball. Using of saliva was banned during COVID-19 times. Where transmission of the virus would have been possible as saliva could carry and transmit the virus through droplets. Mostly saliva is used by bowlers to keep the shine of the ball alive. When saliva is rubbed through the rubbed area becomes a shiner and gives the recipient of reverse swing where the ball is tapped into the reverse format. 

It was mentioned by ICC that the ban was a temporarly mesaure, when the pandemic gets over or suppressed the ban will be automatically revoked. Then in September 2022 instead of revoking ICC made it into permanent ban and suggested to apply sweat or some special foil to add, this was sudden move which no one did expected. 

Read More: Rohit Sharma Becomes The First Captain To Reach The Finals Of All ICC Tournaments

Shami On The Victory Against Australia

Shami expressed his happiness on victory over Australia in Champions Trophy semi final. He said it, was quite a tensed moment when he dropped the catch of Travis Head. But it was quite recultant that he was coming from 1 year injury break where he injured himself during, the final of 2023 World Cup final and the fate has given him another chance to play the final of ICC Champions Trophy. 

Though Travis Head didn't do as much, damage as India thought and Shami too, had a great spell picking 3 wickets in the final of the game. During the press meet he urged the plea to ICC to revoke the usage of saliva to debug the advantage to batsmen as bowlers left nothing to do on a batting track, even it's not only Shami who is alone in this some bowlers have come in support of Mohammad Shami regarding this issue. 

Read More; Former Pakistan Cricketer Has Criticised The Team Selection For New Zealand Series

Vernon Philander And Tim Southee comes in for support.

Even Shami is not alone but he has got his supporters for this. South African pace bowler Vernon Philander and New Zealand pace bowler Tim Southee had addressed this issue with the ICC, and they said this rule was too early during coronavirus times.  Southee says we have been getting no advantage as bowlers as batsmen they get used to powerplays and field restrictions, 

Mostly Southee and and Phillander went on to say we have seen lots of changes in batting demography but no change in bowling rules.  We have seen in recent years that batters have been dominating and using different shots and change of hands but it leasure bowlers too which can give equal competition to bat and ball. 

The semi final of Champions Trophy has began with a mere twist. Australian captain Steve Smith won the toss and choose to bat first. The idea was simple to post a target and to defend though Australian bowling has not even shine in this CT. But the batting has raised the tempo which reflects in their bowling. Australia has mostly chased a target and their bowling hasn't been tested yet. 

Australia have included 4 spinners in their team and India has gone with 3 spinners. Looking the dry conditions teams have allocated their teams and now we have to wait whose decision has been spot on. 

Read More: Will Shreyas Iyer Give His Best On An Important Match Against Australia

Travis Head dropped on 0

The innings had just started and Mohammad Shami started the proceedings with the new ball. Where he started with the wide ball. It was the third ball of the spell where Travis Head shot cuddled with the bat and went back to Shami who dropped the catch trying to attempt it by one hand. It's like the repetition of the 2023 World Cup where Travis Head's stumps were missed by a mere margin which became the deciding factor of the match. 

Rohit Sharma's reaction on Shami missing the opportunity gifted by Travis Head 🫣 pic.twitter.com/xECGhGAiT4

— Radha (@Rkc1511165) March 4, 2025

It was the same ball that Bumrah delivered on the Bgt series where the ball tickled the top of bails and Travis was bowled. But today the reputation of the World Cup has changed. Travis Head was seen lucky for the second time when Ravindra Jadeja's throw missed the stumps with the thinnest of margin. It seemed that once again the destructive opener going to destroy team India's hopes like he did India and World Cup 2023. After that mere two misses Travis Head started delivering boundaries and sixes which snubbed the Indian fans. 

Varun Chakravarthy gets the big fish.

After the mere misses and tickles Travis Head thought he had crossed the hurdle time. But then came the hero of the last game Varun Chakravarthy who got a fifer against New Zealand and delivered the most important spell of his time. Same today Varun Chakravarthy came in 8 th over of the game semi-final.

It was the second ball of the innings and Travis Head played a lofted shot through the leg side which went high in the year and down there it was Subhman Gill who took the catch and dismissed the biggest headache of India. Travis Head was dismissed by 39 runs and was caught at the right time when he was looking dangerous. It was once again Varun Chakravarthy who came to the rescue of the team when needed.