In January 2020, Matheesha Pathirana, a 17-year-old fast bowler from Sri Lanka, attracted the attention of Australian cricketers when, during an ICC Under-19 World Cup match versus India, he bowled what looked to be an impossible delivery; a delivery that was almost certainly the fastest delivery of the time. During the match, Pathirana bowled short to Yashasvi Jaiswal, and a speed gun registered this delivery at an unbelievable speed of 175 km/h (108 mph), which would have easily blown away Shoaib Akhtar’s official record of a delivery speed of 161.3 km/h. Click on 96India for such informative articles. This created a considerable amount of buzz in the cricketing community.
The 175 km/h Delivery: A Closer Look
The incident occurred when Pathirana was bowling the fourth over of India’s innings, and the delivery registered as a wide ball down the leg side. The delivery was recorded by a speed gun and was registered as being bowled at 175 km/h. If the speed gun was accurate, no one would be doubting whether this was indeed the fastest delivery in ICC history. However, after investigations into the reading, usually the same reporters and analysts who were jumping at the bit to express in any credible form of journalism or commentary did a complete turnaround and concluded that it was likely just a speed gun malfunction which has happened on countless occasions over many years, just like that delivery.
The Baby Malinga: A Promising Future
Pathirana was aptly nicknamed “Baby Malinga” because his floppy, slingy action replicated that of Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga, and he is already an emerging player in the international circuit. With his style and lethal yorker deliveries, he is proving to be a great asset for the Chennai Super Kings and the Sri Lankan national team. As he develops more, many believe he will be a star in the future of fast bowling.
Official Records: Where Does Pathirana Stand?
Pathirana has shown promise in speed despite the controversy, and in last year’s IPL 2024 season, he bowled a ball at a pace of 150.9 km/h while playing for Chennai Super Kings. He should be proud of this pace with Chennai, but he remains behind the official record of Shoaib Akhtar in the IPL.
Top fastest ball in Cricket History
| Rank | Bowler | Speed (kmph) | Match |
| 1 | Shoaib Akhtar | 161.3 | ENG vs PAK, 2003 WC |
| 2 | Shaun Tait | 161.1 | ENG vs AUS, 2010 ODI |
| 3 | Brett Lee | 161.1 | NZ vs AUS, 2005 ODI |
| 4 | Jeff Thomson | 160.6 | WI vs AUS, 1975 |
| 5 | Mitchell Starc | 160.4 | NZ vs AUS, 2015 ODI |
Conclusion
Although the 175 km/h delivery attributed to Matheesha Pathirana was likely a fault of the speed gun, it created a huge spotlight on a young bowler with so much potential. His performances at domestic cricket and with international teams have shown the ability he holds, and if he continues to develop his skills, he may challenge the speed records one day. Log in to the 96 website and catch all the latest updates of IPL 2025. For now, the cricketing world waits with anticipation for what Pathirana’s future holds.
