IPL 2019: 5 of the fastest bowlers this season who can strike fear into the hearts of batsmen

Pace bowlers who can hurl the cherry at over 150 km/h are rare, and those who can do so consistently at the highest level are even rarer. Bowlers like Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar have shown over time what a pace bowler with an ability to bowl at 150 clicks regularly can do for his team.

The pure pleasure of watching a fast bowler leave world-class batsmen bamboozled with his lightning-fast deliveries cannot be described words. Such pacers are equally adored by both captains and fans.

The Indian Premier League is a festival of cricket, where players from all nations come to participate in a field filled with star-studded players. Fast bowlers, both known and unknown, come to India to ply their trade and test batsmen with their pace.

As IPL 2019 begins, here is a look at five of the fastest bowlers in the tournament:

#5 Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)

India's new poster boy is one of the many by-products of the IPL, scouted and hand-picked by coach John Wright during a domestic tournament. Bumrah has gone from strength to strength since his IPL arrival in 2013, and is now India's frontline seam bowler.

While his unorthodox action does catch attention, it is really his ability to generate pace with a small run-up that jumps off the page. In India's historical Test series win Down Under, Bumrah made the speed gun work overtime, hitting the 145-150 km/h mark on a regular basis. His fastest ball was recorded at 153.26 km/h, which was quicker than the likes of even Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.

Last season in the IPL, Bumrah broke the 146 km/h mark about 8 times, with his fastest being recorded at 148.15 km/h. Bumrah will be raring to have a go at the batsman with his searing yorkers this IPL.

#4 Lockie Ferguson (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Lockie Ferguson

One of the newer players bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the upcoming IPL season is Kiwi fast bowler Lockie Ferguson. Ferguson has played just a handful of IPL matches till now but that might change this season as injuries have hit KKR's pace department, leaving them bereft of choices.

Ferguson represented the Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 IPL season, and his return of 2 for 7 against the batting might of Royal Challengers Bangalore catapulted him to prominence among the media. Ferguson displayed his raw pace in the matches he was called up to, clocking regularly in the 147-150 km/h range and eventually finishing with the second fastest ball of the season at 150.90 km/h.

He has had a great start to the 2019 season, having captured 6 wickets in 3 T20I matches at an economy rate of 6.73. With no supposed leaders in the KKR pace battery, Lockie 'Flash' Ferguson will have to take up that role and lead from the front.

#3 Oshane Thomas (Rajasthan Royals)

Oshane Thomas

With the golden history they possess with fast bowlers, It isn't surprising to see another fast bowler from the Caribbean making waves in the cricketing world. Oshane Thomas, a 6-foot 6-inch fast bowler, came into prominence during the 2017 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Representing the Jamaica Tallawahs, Thomas bowled at speeds over 148 km/h throughout the tournament. His performance against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots during a league match was what caught the selectors' eye, as he captured 3 wickets during the encounter including the likes of Chris Gayle and Carlos Brathwaite.

His deliveries touched 97 mp/h during the match.

Thomas' performance in the tournament fast-tracked him into the national squad for the series against India. He impressed many during his debut series and managed to extract words of praise from India's premier opener Rohit Sharma.

On his ODI debut in Guwahati, Thomas clocked 147kph, 147kph, 140kph, 149kph, 147kph, and 147kph in his first over.

#2 Adam Milne (Mumbai Indians)

Adam Milne

Adam Milne became a sensation during the 2014-15 season, as he clocked a 153 km/h ball against the West Indies in a T20I. His consistency with speed created ripples in cricketing circles.

Milne's reputation grew manifold after his display of ferocious fast bowling against the West Indies. The IPL soon came calling as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), then coached by Kiwi great Daniel Vettori, picked him up during the 2015 auction.

Milne missed the 2015 IPL season due to injury, but he eventually broke into the RCB playing 11 for a couple of matches during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He enthralled the Indian fans with his display of pure raw pace, recording speeds of over 148 km/h.

Milne's career graph has spiraled downwards mostly due to the impact of injuries that he has sustained over the past few seasons. But he has recovered well from his them, and is now ready again to cast fear into the hearts of batsmen with his pace bowling.

#1 Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals)

Jofra Archer

One of the most talked about players leading up to the auction last year, Jofra Archer turned up to the IPL with his A-game and was one of the standout players for Rajasthan Royals during the 2018 season. His ability to hurl the leather ball consistently at speeds of over 149 km/h stunned everyone.

Archer's claim to fame was his performance during the 2018 Australian Big Bash League where he led his team Hobart Hurricanes to the final.

He was the fastest bowler during the IPL 2018 season, with a fastest recorded ball of 152.39 km/h. Out of the top 100 fastest balls bowled in the league during the last season, Archer contributed 49, including the fastest ball of the season.

With a World Cup place up for grabs, Archer will be pumped up to perform at the highest level and try to get picked in England's final-15 member squad.