While the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all about sixes and fours, a significant part of it is also about bowlers threatening with their pace and bounce.
IPL 2018 received a severe blow up-front in the absence of rocket chuckers such as Kagiso Rabada and Mitchell Starc.
However, the Indian pacers have impressed this season on the speed gun.
Here’s a look at the top five Indian bowlers who have bowled the quickest deliveries thus far.
5. Avesh Khan (Delhi Daredevils) – 148.74 kmph
Filling in the place of an Indian international may not be easy for youngsters in this format. But, Delhi Daredevils’ Avesh Khan did so nonchalantly by bowling spirited spells, coming in place of Mohammed Shami.
The 21-year old, who impressed in the U19 World Cup of 2016 in Bangladesh, clocked 148.74 in one of five games he featured in.
4. Umesh Yadav (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – 148.98 kmph
Photo by: Vipin Pawar / IPL/ SPORTZPICS
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s bowling has been mercurial this season. However, Umesh Yadav turned out to be the strike bowler for Kohli, as he turned the match around with some of his fast spells.
Umesh Yadav scaled speed of 148.98 kmph in one of the nine games he featured in.
Yadav already has 13 wickets this season, setting an example for the rest of the bowlers in the squad.
3. Avesh Khan (Delhi Daredevils) – 149.12 kmph
The Madhya Pradesh speedster, broke his record regarding speed, by clocking 149.12 kmph, this IPL, to bowl the third quickest delivery by an Indian.
The lanky pacer, apart from the recent game against Sunrisers, hasn’t gone for a plenty, and also chipped in with wickets for his captain.
2. Shivam Mavi (Kolkata Knight Riders) – 149.35 kmph
Photo by: Vipin Pawar / IPL/ SPORTZPICS
Another product of the U19 World Cup, Shivam Mavi, after impressing one and all during the recent tournament in New Zealand, received tremendous adulations from the cricketing community with his sheer pace and intensity.
Gathering the reputation of bowling 140+ consistently, Mavi clocked a jaw-dropping 149.35 kmph, to deliver the second quickest delivery of the season, this IPL.
1. Mohammed Siraj (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – 149.94 kmph
Before the start of the tournament, Mohd. Siraj developed a reputation of being exorbitant in his spell, conceding a minimum in his four-over spells.
Even in this season of IPL, he has been taken to the cleaners by some of the big-hitters. However, in the recent games, the Hyderabad bowler displayed improvement, bowling at the death, making himself useful for Kohli’s RCB mercurial bowling attack.
That said, Siraj scaled almost the 150-mark while bowling this IPL. It only goes on to show the abundant reserves of talent in the country.
As far as speed is concerned, India is in safe hands, with the presence of these four fast bowlers.
*These numbers are updated as of May 6th, 2017