Shabnim Ismail, a fast bowler from South Africa, recently hit a noteworthy milestone in women's cricket when she reached a speed of 132.1 kph in a Women's Premier League (WPL) game between the Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians. This is the first time a bowler has ever exceeded 130 kph in the history of women's cricket. During Tuesday's Delhi encounter, Ismail's outstanding delivery was noted on the speed gun.
This delivery, which reached an incredible 132.1 km/h, not only demonstrated her extraordinary skill but also broke existing records and created a new world record for the fastest ball ever bowled in women's cricket. Ismail's remarkable feat overshadowed her performance even though she had what she called a "off day" with the ball, conceding 46 runs in her four-over period and only managing to take one wicket.
In the third over of the first inning, she hit a record-breaking delivery that was aimed at Delhi Capitals player Meg Lanning. The ball struck Lanning on the pads after being thrown quickly and precisely, but it was declared not out. Ismail acknowledged at the mid-innings break that she hadn't looked at the big screen while bowling and wasn't aware of her historic accomplishment at the time.
Ismail already shown her quickness in the WPL 2024 opening game with a delivery that was timed at 128.3 kph. She had an outstanding start, but an injury kept her out of the lineup for a few games until she returned on Tuesday. Along with her WPL accomplishments, Ismail bowled at 128 kph against the West Indies in 2016 to set the record for the quickest delivery in women's international cricket. She also broke the 127 kph barrier twice in the 2022 ODI World Cup, enhancing her standing as a dangerous fast bowler worldwide.
In a top-of-the-table Women's Premier League (WPL) match on Tuesday, the Delhi Capitals upset the Mumbai Indians by 29 runs thanks to outstanding fifty-fives from Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Meg Lanning. In response to the WPL juggernaut moving to Delhi, DC scored an incredible 192 for 4. Despite Amanjot Kaur's 42 off 27 and Hayley Matthews' 29 off 17, the Mumbai Indians finished with a 163 for 8.
