Shabnim Ismail Sets New Record in Women’s Cricket with Fastest Delivery

Shabnim Ismail, the former South African pacer, made history on Tuesday by bowling the fastest delivery ever recorded in women’s cricket.

While playing for the Mumbai Indians in their Women’s Premier League (WPL) match against the Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Ismail broke the record with a delivery clocking a speed of 132.1km/h (82.08mph).

This is the first time a delivery in women’s cricket has been clocked at a speed exceeding 130km/h. Ismail’s record-breaking delivery struck the pad of former Australia captain Meg Lanning on the second ball of the third over.

Ismail, who represented South Africa in all eight previous ICC Women’s T20 World Cups and retired from international cricket after last year’s tournament on home soil, had previously been clocked bowling at 128km/h (79.54mph) against the West Indies in 2016 and at 127km/h twice during the most recent edition of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2022.

In a post-match interview, Ismail modestly downplayed her record-breaking achievement, stating that she “doesn’t actually look at the big screen when I’m bowling.”

Despite Ismail’s record-breaking delivery, her efforts were not enough to secure a win for the Mumbai Indians. She delivered four expensive overs, finishing with figures of 1/46, and the Indians lost to the Capitals by 29 runs in Delhi.