Cricket’s fastest bowling records were once held by Australia’s Brett Lee and Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar. Shoaib Akhtar, known for his lightning-fast pace, set records in his time. However, this time, his record has been broken by Shabnim Ismail, a pace bowler for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian women’s premier league.
In the women’s premier league match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in India, Shabnim successfully achieved this record in the third over. The speed of her ball was recorded at 132.1 kilometers per hour, making it the fastest ball in women’s cricket history.
This record-breaking delivery took place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Shabnim Ismail’s ball speed was measured at 132.1 kilometers per hour. Although the TV speedometer showed 138.3 kilometers per hour, it doesn’t change the fact that this is the fastest ball ever bowled by a woman in cricket.
Shabnim Ismail had previously bowled a ball at a speed exceeding 130 kilometers per hour. The 35-year-old Ismail may not have been aware of breaking her own record, saying, “When I bowled it, I didn’t look towards the big screen.”
Shabnim Ismail also holds the record for the fastest delivery in international cricket. In 2016, she bowled at a speed of 128 kilometers per hour against the West Indies. In the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup, she once again bowled at a speed of 127 kilometers per hour.