The legendary speedster Jhulan Goswami ended her illustrious 20-year international career by quitting all forms of cricket in September 2022. Goswami finished with 355 wickets overall and 255 in ODIs, that being the highest.
“With her retirement, it would be the end of an era in world cricket. The impact she has had in women’s cricket at the global level is immense. She has been a great ambassador for the sport and youngsters took to fast bowling seeing her bowl for India.”
The Mithali-Jhulan saga in Indian cricket came to an end when Mithali Raj wrote a heartfelt letter about her long-time friend Jhulan Goswami retiring. The history that Raj and Goswami wrote for Indian Women’s Cricket motivated many girls from Indian homes to pursue the sport as a career. Raj herself hung the boots a few months prior to that.
Jhulan Goswami’s trip from Chakdah, a town some 70 kilometres from Kolkata, had a fairy-tale conclusion at Lord’s, the Mecca of Cricket. In the third ODI of the series, against England in September 2022, her final spell concluded as 2/30 in 10 overs. She finished as the leading wicket-taker with a horrendous number of 255 in ODIs.
The conclusion also brought to mind the start. The lanky 20-year-old Indian fast bowler made her debut against the same opponent in 2002. Jhulan Goswami completed the circle by taking two wickets in her maiden game, matching the amount from her previous game.
Her first T20I and Test debut both came against England. She appeared in a total of 204 ODIs, 12 Tests, and 68 T20Is along the wonderful way.
The impact of Jhulan Goswami on Indian sport goes well beyond numbers. She arrived in India at a time when women’s cricket was little noticed and even unnoticed at some juncture in time. Differentiation and discrimination were the two main tenets of her times that subjugated the sport in India.
She continued to stand in the storm while adjusting her sail and redefining her course to the summit. She grew stronger every day because of her passion and respect for the game. She demonstrated her strength, stamina, and devotion with each ball she bowled.
Jhulan Goswami would undoubtedly be included in the BCCI’s women’s cricket “Hall of Fame” if one were to be established. Goswami, who was once among the fastest bowlers in women’s cricket, has garnered aid through control and slight deviations off the pitch 20 years after making her debut.
It has been a beautiful career spanning over 20 years at the top, starting with her role as a ball girl in the 1997 World Cup final and ending with surpassing her idol and inspiration Cathryn Fitzpatrick.
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The petite adolescent, who had caught the cricket bug, journeyed two hours in a crowded local for practice in Kolkata before returning to catch up on her studies three times a week in her birthplace of Chakdaha. Her coach was persuaded by her tall physique that she would make a fearsome pacer, and once the parents got entailed, there has been no turning back since.
Jhulan Goswami: Birth, Early Life and Family
Jhulan Goswami was born to a middle-class family on November 25, 1982, in Chakdaha, West Bengal’s Nadia district. She started playing cricket at the age of 15. She became interested in cricket after watching the 1992 Cricket World Cup on television.
After witnessing Australian batter Belinda Clark compete in the 1997 Women’s Cricket World Cup, she developed a greater interest in the sport. Jhulan Goswami had to travel to Kolkata to play cricket at the time since Chakdaha, where she was from, lacked any cricket facilities.
Career
Jhulan Goswami got picked up by the Bengal women’s cricket team after completing her training in Kolkata. She made her debut for her country at the age of 19 in a one-day match against England in Chennai in 2002. Her Test debut took place at Lucknow against England on January 14, 2002.
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Prior to the national team’s tour of England in 2006, she was appointed vice-captain, indicating that she would assume a leadership position. She contributed to India’s Test series victories, including their first triumph over England.
In the first Test at Leicester, she scored a majestic and incredible fifty as a night watchman, and in the second Test at Taunton, she recorded her best match statistics of 10 for 78, 5 for 33 and 5 for 45. Because of her feats, she was named Player of the Series and honoured at the Castrol Awards in Mumbai in September. She was bestowed with a Special Award in that particular instance.
Jhulan Goswami also received the ICC Women’s Player of the Year award in 2007. Interestingly, no Indian male player won an individual prize that year. She swiftly ascended to the position of national team captain.
Later in 2008, she succeeded Mithali Raj as captain, and she retained that position through 2011. At the 2008 Asia Cup, she also became the fourth woman to record 100 wickets in ODIs. She received the Arjuna Award in 2010 and, following Diana Edulji in 2012, became the second cricketer from India to receive the Padma Shri.
She has taken 271 international wickets in 223 games and 40 test wickets in 10 games. She has also scored 1593 runs with three half-centuries. Jhulan Goswami earned much during the Women’s Quadrangular Series. In February 2018, she became the first female cricketer to record 200 wickets in one-day cricket. She has played 166 ODI games and scored 995 runs.
In May 2017, she overtook Australia’s Cathryn Fitzpatrick to become the most prolific ODI wicket-taker with her 181st wicket against South Africa at Potchefstroom’s PUK Oval. She has also been a member of the Indian squad which made it to the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup final before succumbing to England by a close margin of 9 runs.
In September 2018, she faced Sri Lanka and recorded her 300th wicket. In November 2020, she received the nomination for the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade award.
Jhulan Goswami was included in the Test team for India’s one-off game against England in May 2021. In January 2022, she was chosen to play for India in the Women’s Cricket World Cup, which was held in New Zealand. In August 2018, she announced her retirement from WT20Is.
READ MORE: CWC22: Personal Milestones Don’t Matter To Me, Says Jhulan Goswami
Jhulan Goswami Career Averages:
Bowling
| FORMAT | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEST | 12 | 21 | 2266 | 764 | 44 | 5/25 | 10/78 | 17.36 | 2.02 | 51.5 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| ODI | 204 | 203 | 10005 | 5622 | 255 | 6/31 | 6/31 | 22.04 | 3.37 | 39.2 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| T20I | 68 | 67 | 1351 | 1229 | 56 | 5/11 | 5/11 | 21.94 | 5.45 | 24.1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Batting & Fielding
| FORMAT | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100s | 50s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEST | 12 | 15 | 3 | 291 | 69 | 24.25 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| ODI | 204 | 121 | 37 | 1228 | 57 | 14.61 | 0 | 1 | 69 | 0 |
| T20I | 68 | 46 | 9 | 405 | 37* | 10.94 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
Here is the year-wise tally of the Wickets taken by Jhulan Goswami across formats:
· 2002 – 22
· 2003 – 11
· 2004 – 13
· 2005 – 30
· 2006 – 44
· 2007 – 11
· 2008 – 9
· 2009 – 4
· 2010 – 12
· 2011 – 24
· 2012 – 25
· 2013 – 9
· 2014 – 30
· 2015 – 9
· 2016 – 14
· 2017 – 18
· 2018 – 18
· 2019 – 18
· 2021 – 19
Jhulan Goswami Records
· Youngest player (23 years & 277 days) to take 10 wickets in a test match.
· Most wickets taken by lbw (leg before wicket).
· Most balls bowled in career.
· Most Wickets in International matches.
· Best Bowling figure by a captain.
Jhulan Goswami Awards, Honours and Titles
2007: ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year
2008 – 2011: Captain of Indian Women’s Cricket Team
2010: Arjuna Award
2012: Padma Shri Award
Goswami has flaunted it skilfully throughout the years with long hair and a deadly attitude, making her one of the coolest rockstars of Indian cricket. Despite being cognizant of her Hindi language imperfections she speaks clearly and effectively. As she won games for India, her honesty was reflected in the middle.
Regardless of the outcome, she danced in the dressing room and occasionally served as a mentor to young people. Jhulan Goswami insisted that cricket was a sport, not a battle. She may have been able to dodge the pressure of international cricket during her long career because of her laid-back personality.
Jhulan Goswami Biopic
Famous Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma will be seen in Jhulan Goswami’s biopic. The name of the movie has been decided as ‘Chakda Express’. The movie is inspired on her life as well.
Personal Information of Jhulan Goswami
Full Name: Jhulan Nishit Goswami
Height: 180 cm
Birthplace: Chakdaha, West Bengal
Date of Birth: 25 November 1982
Nationality: Indian
Religion: Hinduism
Hobbies: Watching Movies, Reading books
Marital Status: Unmarried
Favourite Cricketer: Belinda Clark (Women), Sachin Tendulkar (Batter), Glenn McGrath (Bowler)
Favourite Destination: London
Jersey Number: 25
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling Style: Right-arm medium-fast
Net worth: ₹7.3 crore
FAQs
- When Jhulan Goswami made her International Debut?
Jhulan Goswami made her International debut in an ODI against England in January 2002 at the age of 19.
2. When and where was Jhulan Goswami born?
Jhulan Goswami was born on 25 November 1982 in Chakdaha, a small town in West Bengal.
3. Who will play the role of Jhulan Goswami in the biopic?
Famous Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma will be seen in Jhulan Goswami’s biopic. The name of the movie is ‘Chakda Express’.
4. How many wickets has Jhulan Goswami taken in World Cup?
In 34 World Cup matches, Jhulan Goswami has taken 43 wickets which came at an economy of 3.45 and conceded just 935 runs.
5. How much does Jhulan Goswami earn in a year?
Jhulan Goswami used to earn 50 lahks INR per year as per the contract with BCCI before her retirement.
6. When will Jhulan Goswami retire from cricket?
Jhulan Goswami took retirement from T20Is in August 2018 and retired from international cricket in September 2022.
(Stats taken from ESPNCricinfo)
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