Watch- Umran Malik bowls at 155 kmph, becomes the fastest Indian bowler in 90-year-old cricketing history

Umran Malik (Image source: Twitter)

India won a thrilling close encounter against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. The Hardik Pandya-led side managed to get victory into their bag after a topsy-turvy game. Shivam Mavi came up with a sensational debut performance as he took 4 wickets in just 4 overs to hand India a much-needed win.

It was however Umran Malik who brought a moment of magic into the game as he bowled the fastest-ever ball bowled by an Indian bowler since India played its first match in 1932.

The right-arm pacer was able to bowl at 155 kmph on the 4^th ball of the 17 over. Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka who appeared to take Sri Lanka across the finish line had to depart on this delivery.

Here's Umran Malik bowling India's fastest ball. 

The fastest ball by an Indian bowler clocking 155kmph #INDvsSL #UmranMalik pic.twitter.com/bXX3s6yCS3

— Banti Chouhan (@banti_chouhan26) January 4, 2023

This was Malik’s only fourth match in the T20I format. Earlier the 23-year-old had revealed that he wanted to break Shoaib Akhtar’s record for the fastest ball in international cricket. The former Pakistan pacer bowled at 161.3 kmph in 2003 against England.

My only focus is on picking up wickets- Malik

“If I do well, and if I’m lucky, I’ll break (Shoaib Akhtar’s record). But I don’t think about it at all. Right now, I'm only thinking about performing well for the country, “ said Malik ahead of the Sri Lanka series.

He also said that bowling well is his only focus at the moment and he is not looking at breaking records.

“You don’t realise how fast you’ve bowled during the match. It's only when we come back after the game that we get to know how fast I was. During the game, my only focus is on bowling in the right areas and picking up wickets.”

India won the match after Deepak Hooda (41) and Axar Patel (31) took the scoreboard to 162. Sri Lanka came very close to winning the match but 13 runs were successfully defended in the last over by Axar Patel to take the first one in the bag.