Cricket is a game that has many aspects. One of the major aspects is fast bowling. Fast bowling is one of the lethal weapons of the teams. During the years, many cricketers were born who were able to master the rhythm of fast bowling and become great assets for their team. Our Country is one of the underrated teams that have produced many greatest fast bowlers from India.
The Indian team was always known for their great batsmen and spin bowlers, which kept a shadow on their great fast bowling unit. Since the beginning, Indian fast bowlers have not caught much limelight. According to many critics, Indian fast bowlers’ deliveries were not as fast as those of other teams. But proper line and length and the ability to swing the bowl more effectively than fast bowlers from other teams always proved critics wrong about their opinions. So in this article, we will talk about the seven greatest Indian fast bowlers of all time who have made their nation proud with their efforts and determination to make their team one of the greatest teams of all time.
7 Greatest Indian Fast Bowlers of All Time – Ranked
1) Kapil Dev
One of the greatest Indian fast bowlers of all time, the one and only Kapil Dev. At a time when the Indian team was in transition as many legendary Indian bowlers were getting retired, he was the protector of the bowling unit of the Indian team. During his entire career, Kapil has taken 434 wickets in test cricket, which shows how effective he was with bowling. Not only in test cricket but also in limited formats, he was a key member of the team. In the ODI format, he got 282 wickets. Also Read: 7 Greatest Cricket Commentators of all time – Ranked
2) Zaheer Khan
Whenever, we’ll talk about greatest Indian fast-bowling unit, name of Zaheer Khan will always be in the list. During early 2000, when India was missing a major chunk of fast bowling, Zaheer Khan filled that spot with his accurate fast bowls coupled with deadly swing variation. He had the ability to analyse the crucial situations of a match and then bowl according to them. During his entire career, Zaheer has taken 311 wickets in tests, 282 wickets in ODIs, and 17 wickets in T20s.
3) Javagal Srinath
A slim, shy, young fast bowler with great in cutters and inswingers, Srinath, was one of India’s finest bowlers. He started his career with a hat-trick in domestic cricket, which showed the world that the Indian team is not behind anyone in producing such effective fast bowlers. At the tail end of Kapil Dev’s career, he took the burden of the fast bowling unit on his shoulders. In his entire career, Srinath took 236 test wickets and 315 ODI wickets.
4) Bhuvneshwar Kumar
From time to time, the scarcity of fast bowlers was seen in the Indian team after the Zaheer Khan era. India was again in need of some fast bowlers with strong swing variations to trouble batters. This search was over during a first-class cricket match when a 19-year-old boy ducked the great Sachin Tendulkar. Bhuvneshwar Kumar made his debut in 2012 and became one of the greatest swing bowlers of all time. His destructive inswingers were the main trouble factor for opposition teams. In his career, he took 60 test wickets, 141 ODI wickets, and 90 T20 wickets. Also Read: Top 5 Smallest Stadiums In India 2024
5) Mohammed Shami
Shami is among the few bowlers who can deliver accurate, deadly deliveries at any stage of the match. We all have seen his performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, and there is no need to explain what impact he created in the 2023 World Cup campaign. When you ask Shami how he is so effective with the bowl, his only answer is that he just pitches the ball on the spot with an accurate line and length. Shami is a specialist in new bowls. He has the ability to swing the bowl in both directions, which, coupled with Yorker, makes it very difficult for batsmen to tap it. In his career, he took 229 tests, 195 ODIs, and 24 T20 wickets.
6) Ishant Sharma
Unlike other Indian bowlers, Ishant Sharma has a height of 6’4″, which makes him one of the tallest bowlers India has ever had. Due to his height factor, he was able to deliver quick bouncers, creating trouble to face him. He was an aggressive bowler who was able to deliver storming (140 kmph+) deliveries; however, with time, his pace decreased, but he became more experienced, and his control over the ball became stronger, leading to more variations in his bowling attack. In his career, he took 311 test wickets, 115 ODI wickets, and 8 T20 wickets.
7) Jasprit Bumrah
The modern great of Indian team “Boom Boom Bumrah”. Jasprit is one of the most effective bowlers of modern times. His unorthodox bowling action and accurate line and length made him one of the toughest bowlers to face. Whether the weather is dry, wet, or grassy, if Bumrah is bowling, wickets might be on the way. His sharp yorkers, coupled with his 140+ speed, made it one of the deadliest yorkers ever faced by a batsman. He is the death-over specialist for his team. Whenever the match is in the last over and the bowler is Jasprit Bumrah, the worries are on the face of the batsman. Up until now, he has taken 140 test wickets, 149 ODI wickets, and 74 T20 wickets. Also Read: 10 Fastest Runners in Cricket History