The BCCI president, Sourav Ganguly, on Thursday (September 22), confirmed that veteran Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami will play her last game for the country on September 24 at Lord’s when the touring side takes the field in the third and final ODI against England Women.
Goswami has so far played 203 ODIs for India Women and holds the world record for the most wickets with 253 scalps. She has also been impressive on the ongoing England tour with the ball, where India recorded their first ODI series since 1999, having thrashed the hosts by 88 runs in the second ODI.
As reported by India Today, Sourav Ganguly said on the sidelines of an event in Kolkata: “I am happy for Jhulan Goswami. I am very happy that she has performed very well in the last two matches. The Indian women's team played well and won the match too.”
The BCCI president further added, “Jhulan Goswami is an absolute legend. She has taken the most wickets in the history of women's cricket. She is from Bengal Chakdah. I have a very cordial relationship with her. I had a lot of discussions with Jhulan Goswami regarding women's cricket development. I had a chat with Smriti Mandhana, and Harmanpreet Kaur as well.
I am very happy for Jhulan. She is almost 40. She has had a remarkable career. Every sportsman's and sportswoman's life comes to an end. That is what sport is. But what Jhulan will leave is a rich legacy. She is a role model. She is finishing at Lord's. And finishing at Lord's is a dream.”
Meanwhile, the former Indian captain stated that if his daughter ever wanted to play cricket, he would want her to play like Goswami, while wishing the legendary pacer the best of luck for her future endeavors after calling time on her international career at Lord’s.
Ganguly further said, “If my daughter wants to play cricket, I would suggest her be like Jhulan but unfortunately she is not playing cricket. I wish her all the best.”
The BCCI president was also happy with Indian women’s cricket’s growth this year while hailing India’s ODI series win in England. He signed off by saying, “BCCI has put in a lot of effort for women's cricket. We want it to grow day by day. The whole year, the team has played very well. In the Commonwealth Games they played very well but, unfortunately, lost in the final. Beating England in England is very difficult. And they have done it. I am happy about the progress.”
