Jhulan Goswami took 255 wickets in women’s one-day internationals, more than any other bowler in the history of the format. Tall, quick and relentlessly accurate, she opened the bowling for India for two decades, was named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2007 and finished her career with a win at Lord’s in September 2022.
Name: Jhulan Goswami | Born: 25 November 1982, Chakdaha, Nadia district, West Bengal | Sport: Cricket | Position: Right-arm fast-medium bowler, lower-order batter
From Chakdaha to Kolkata
Goswami grew up in Chakdaha, a small town in Nadia district some distance from Kolkata, in an area where there was little organised women’s cricket. She was drawn to the game by watching the men’s 1992 World Cup on television and, a few years later, the Women’s World Cup of 1997, where the Australian captain Belinda Clark made a lasting impression on her. To train properly she had to travel to Kolkata, and over time she worked her way into the Bengal side. At 1.80 metres she was taller than almost every batter she bowled to, and she used that height to get bounce from pitches that offered little else.
Early years in the India side
She made her one-day international debut against England on 6 January 2002 and her Test debut against the same opponents in Lucknow a week later. Within a few seasons she was leading the attack. In the 2006 Test at Taunton she took ten wickets in the match, with five in each innings, and India won the game and the series in England. In 2007 she became the first Indian named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year, recognition of a bowler who had made herself one of the fastest in the women’s game.
Captaincy and two World Cup finals
Goswami captained India from 2008 to 2011, a period in which she combined the leadership with the heaviest bowling workload in the side. She played in two World Cup finals, in 2005 against Australia and in 2017 against England at Lord’s, finishing on the losing side both times. The 2017 final was close: India were well placed in their chase before a collapse, and England won by nine runs.
The record wicket-taker
Her bowling was built on control. She hit the seam, moved the ball both ways off the pitch and rarely gave batters anything loose. Over 204 one-day internationals she took 255 wickets at 22.04, with best figures of six for 31, and she was the first woman to reach 200 ODI wickets. In March 2022, at the World Cup in New Zealand, she became the leading wicket-taker in the history of the Women’s World Cup.
In Tests she took 44 wickets in 12 matches at 17.36, an excellent return in a format that India’s women played only occasionally. In T20 internationals she added 56 wickets in 68 matches at 21.94, with a best of five for 11. Her lower-order batting was useful too, with 1,226 ODI runs.
A farewell at Lord’s
Goswami played her final international match against England at Lord’s in September 2022. India won by 16 runs, sealing a 3-0 series sweep. It was a fitting place to finish: the ground where she had come close to a World Cup title five years earlier.
Coaching and recognition
She stayed involved with Bengal as a mentor after her international retirement, and in February 2023 she joined Mumbai Indians as bowling coach and mentor ahead of the first Women’s Premier League season. In January 2025 the Cricket Association of Bengal unveiled a stand named after her at Eden Gardens. She received the Arjuna Award in 2010 and the Padma Shri in 2012.
Career record and honours
- One-day internationals: 204 matches, 255 wickets at 22.04, best 6/31; 1,226 runs
- Tests: 12 matches, 44 wickets at 17.36; 291 runs at 24.25
- T20 internationals: 68 matches, 56 wickets at 21.94, best 5/11; 405 runs
- Most wickets in women’s ODI cricket (255)
- Leading wicket-taker in Women’s World Cup history (record reached March 2022)
- Ten wickets in the match v England, Taunton, 2006
- India captain: 2008-2011
- World Cup finalist: 2005 and 2017
- ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year: 2007
- Arjuna Award: 2010; Padma Shri: 2012
- Stand named in her honour at Eden Gardens: 2025
