Cricket fans around the world were left stunned — and slightly amused — when Australia’s fast bowler Mitchell Starc appeared to break Shoaib Akhtar’s legendary speed record during an ODI against India.
According to the broadcast’s speed gun, Starc’s delivery to Rohit Sharma in his second over clocked an unbelievable 176 km/h (109 mph) — far beyond the realms of human possibility.
The reading, of course, was a technical error, but that didn’t stop social media from exploding with reactions. One user joked, “Starc didn’t bowl a ball, he launched a missile!” Another wrote, “Only technology could dream of breaking Shoaib Akhtar’s record.”
Starc, known for consistently bowling in the 140–145 km/h range, wasn’t suddenly defying physics. The error likely came from a faulty radar calibration on the broadcast equipment.
The record for the fastest legitimate delivery still belongs to Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar, who clocked 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) against England during the 2003 Cricket World Cup — a feat that remains unbeaten even after 22 years.
While the glitch was quickly corrected, it gave cricket fans around the world a few hilarious moments — and reminded everyone that sometimes, even in high-tech sports, machines can daydream too.
