IPL 2020: 10 bowlers who can clock speeds over 150 kmph

IPL 2020 is just a few weeks away, and the cricket universe is gearing up for yet another exciting season of the T20 extravaganza. The annual auction took place in December, where fast bowler Pat Cummins emerged as the most expensive buy; the Kolkata Knight Riders signed him up for a whopping amount of ₹15.50 crore.

The importance of fast bowlers has increased in T20 cricket lately. Players like Dwayne Bravo and Lasith Malinga have made a name for themselves with their incredible variations. The batsmen find it extremely difficult when the bowlers frequently alter their line, length and pace.

But despite the rise in popularity of slower deliveries, there is no weapon as lethal as pace in the arsenal of a fast bowler. If a bowler can regularly send deliveries at a speed of 150+ kmph, no batsman in the world would find himself in the comfort zone.

Here are 10 bowlers from the upcoming season who can do exactly that:

#10 Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins became the most expensive overseas signing in IPL history

Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins returned to his former IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL auction 2020. The right-arm quick has taken giant strides in Test cricket and he has also started making life difficult for batsmen in white-ball cricket.

The pitch at Eden Gardens assists the fast bowlers and hence Cummins will have a good chance of repaying the faith that the team owners have shown in him. Cummins held the record for bowling the fastest delivery in IPL 2017, having clocked 153.56 kmph to top the list.

Needless to say, his 150+ kmph will be a big factor in IPL 2020.

#9 Varun Aaron

Varun Aaron will play for Rajasthan Royals

Despite being away from the international arena for a long time, Varun Aaron has continued to be a part of the Indian Premier League. Rajasthan Royals retained him ahead of IPL 2020, and would bank on him to deliver the goods this year.

The right-arm fast bowler from Jharkhand has played for several IPL franchises in his career, earning a name for himself by bowling quick deliveries. He had bowled two deliveries at a speed of 150+ kmph in the previous season of the IPL; in Jofra Archer’s absence, Aaron will have the onus of shouldering RR’s pace attack.

#8 Navdeep Saini

Navdeep Saini burst into the limelight while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2019. Although he was not the most experienced bowler in the RCB squad, Saini emerged as the best pacer from his team.

One of the major reasons behind his success was his raw pace. The 27-year-old from Karnal recorded the fastest delivery by an Indian pacer in IPL 2019, registering 152.85 kmph on the speedometer.

Expect the RCB pacer to continue his fine form this year.

#7 Kagiso Rabada

South African speedster Kagiso Rabada played a major role in Delhi Capitals’ third placed finish in IPL 2019. His pace bowling helped Delhi qualify for the playoffs, but after he left the side for World Cup preparations, the Capitals began to stumble.

Rabada topped the list of the fastest balls bowled in IPL 2019 with a delivery of 154.23 kmph. He dominated the list of most 150+ kmph deliveries bowled in the season.

This year Rabada will form a partnership with Chris Woakes, and the duo will look to wreak havoc with their pace.

#6 Prasidh Krishna

Kolkata Knight Riders arguably have the fiercest fast bowling attack in IPL 2020. They have the trio of Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna and Pat Cummins in their lineup, with all-rounder Andre Russell backing them up and Kamlesh Nagarkoti waiting in the wings.

Out of all the uncapped players present in KKR's bowling attack, Krishna possesses the most experience. The right-arm pacer from Karnataka was the lone uncapped player to cross the 150+ kmph landmark on the speed gun last year.

Even Indian skipper Virat Kohli has picked him as a wildcard for the T20 World Cup 2020, and Krishna will look to bring his 'A' game to the table and justify that faith.

#5 Jasprit Bumrah

Just like the Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians have a solid pace bowling attack for IPL 2020. With several international stars like Nathan Coulter-Nile, Trent Boult, Lasith Malinga and Mitchell McClenaghan present in their squad, Mumbai seem to have all the boxes ticked.

The Ahmedabad-based fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will lead this bowling attack and he will have the onus of testing the opposition batsmen’s skills with his pace.

Bumrah had clocked 150.41 kmph on the speedometer last year to end IPL 2019 as the fastest bowler from Mumbai Indians. The pacer will look to replicate that performance once again.

#4 Lockie Ferguson

Lockie Ferguson is currently nursing an injury

New Zealand’s fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is the third player from Kolkata Knight Riders to feature on this list, which shows how lethal the current KKR pace attack is. Ferguson started his IPL journey as a backup bowler with the Rising Pune Supergiant, but he has improved his game over the years and is now one of the best bowlers of the world.

Although he does not have a long run-up, the right-arm fast bowler can breach the 150 kmph mark regularly. Two of his deliveries clocked over 151 kmph on the speedometer in IPL 2019.

Ferguson will not be the first choice foreign pacer for KKR this year, but he can still make a big difference with his raw pace.

#3 Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav has been a regular feature in the Indian Test team for a while now. However, the selectors have neglected him in the limited overs formats, preferring to include Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar in the squad ahead of him.

The biggest problem with Yadav is his death bowling. The batsmen have often thrashed him in the slog overs because of his inaccurate line and length.

That said, Yadav has pace on his side as he can bowl at 150+ kmph regularly. That would always make him a threat with the new ball at least.

#2 Ishant Sharma

Playing for his home franchise in IPL 2019, Ishant Sharma showed that he can still make a mark in the limited overs formats. Ishant formed a magnificent partnership with Kagiso Rabada in the Delhi Capitals fast bowling attack last year.

His fastest delivery recorded a speed of 151.34 kmph. With Trent Boult no longer a part of the squad, Ishant will have the responsibility of supporting the other pacers in Delhi Capitals’ bowling attack.

#1 Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami worked hard on his fitness levels and made a superb comeback to the Indian team. He has developed the art of picking up wickets at regular intervals, which has made him a major threat with the ball. The right-arm fast bowler has focused on improving his line and length along with taking his pace to the next level.

The Kings XI Punjab fast bowler was the only player from his team to surpass the 150 kmph landmark in IPL 2019. He will have the support of Sheldon Cottrell, Hardus Viljoen and Chris Jordan in the pace bowling department this year, which would likely make him an even bigger threat.

Expect Shami to end IPL 2020 as one of the highest wicket-takers.

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