OTD| India’s finest women’s cricketer, Jhulan Goswami was born in 1982

Former Indian cricketer Jhulan Goswami is celebrating her 41st birthday. Chakda Express, as she is famously known, is one of the trailblazers of women’s cricket in India. She has created a name not only for herself but for women’s cricket in India as well. From humble beginnings to reaching the pinnacle of the game, it has been a story that needs to be told to the budding generations of athletes. For two decades she remained the spearhead of the Indian bowling attack and dominated the international cricket. The landscape of women’s cricket in India has changed a lot, for good, but there has been one constant in that journey of evolution and that is Jhulan Goswami. 

The Beginning

Jhulan Goswami made her international debut in ODI cricket against England, in 2002. On her debut, she earned two valuable wickets. Jhulan Goswami soon earned her spot in the test squad as well. She played her first test match against the same opposition, England. Jhulan Goswami’s talent soon caught everyone’s attention and helped her cement her place in the squad. 

The Overview

Jhulan Goswami played 12 test matches in her career where he picked up 44 wickets at an average of 17.36. The fast bowler had three 5-wicket hauls in a short test career which indicates how exemplary her career would have been had India played more test matches. 

Her exploits in white ball cricket are simply unparalleled. She is the all-time leading wicket-taker in the history of women’s ODI cricket. Goswami has 255 wickets in 204 matches at an astonishing average of 22.04. 

She has enough experience in T20 cricket as well. In 68 matches she picked up 56 wickets at an average of 21.94. But all these stats are dwarfed by the impact that she has created off the field. She has been an icon of women’s empowerment in the sporting arena and will continue to shine as a beacon of excellence and grit.