Jhulan Goswami to retire from international cricket in September, set to play farewell game at Lord's

India’s most experienced and veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami is all set to bid adieu to international cricket, thereby putting curtains on her glorious career of 20-plus years. Goswami was named in India’s ODI squad that will tour England in September for a three-match series, and the 39-year-old will reportedly play her final game at the home of cricket- The Lord’s.

Goswami made her international debut at a very young age of 19, in January 2002, when she played her maiden ODI game against England and also bagged two wickets to mark her entry into the setup. In the same month, she made her Test debut against England. Ever since then, she kept growing and reached the peak as Goswami now stands as the leading wicket-taker in women’s internationals with 352 scalps under her belt across all three formats.

Her last appearance was at the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, where she played India’s final game of the league stage against South Africa. As per a report by ESPNCricinfo, it is said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wanted to give her a “proper farewell” because Goswami did not receive a final game after facing an injury before the Sri Lanka series and missing out on the tour.

In a video that went viral on social media, Goswami was seen bowling to KL Rahul in the nets at the NCA in Bengaluru, where she was recovering from the injury that she suffered during the World Cup game against the Proteas women. After being declared fit to play, she was named in the squad for the upcoming England tour.

Jhulan Goswami in talks for mentorship roles

According to reports, it was further understood that Goswami is leaving her options open for the first-ever women’s IPL, which is slated to begin in March 2023. She is also in talks with a men’s IPL team about a mentorship position. She will play for and serve as a mentor for the Bengal women’s squad in the upcoming domestic season.

Goswami has so far participated in 12 Tests, 68 T20Is, and 201 ODIs for India during the course of her career, which has lasted for more than two decades. Since making her debut, she has been a part of five of India’s World Cup campaigns and has also been a part of the historic ODI World Cup finals that India played against England in 2017.

On September 10, 13, and 15, India will play three T20 Internationals in England. On September 18, 21, and 24, three ODIs, which are a part of the ICC Women’s Championship, will follow.