Loading…

Jhulan Goswami is one of the all-time great fast bowlers in women’s cricket. She served Indian women for nearly 20 years and retired as the highest wicket-taker in women’s international cricket.

Jhulan Goswami is one of the all-time great fast bowlers in women’s cricket. She served Indian women for nearly 20 years and retired as the highest wicket-taker in women’s international cricket. Commonly known as the Chakdaha Express, she has earned worldwide acclaim for her discipline, consistency and ability to trouble batsmen with her pace and bounce.
Jhulan’s rise in cricket was slow but steady. She impressed the selectors with her ability to bowl long spells consistently. Over the years, she truly became the backbone of India’s pace attack. Her performances overseas showed that Indian women fast bowlers could compete at the international level. Jhulan’s commitment and fitness allowed her to play at the highest level for two decades, which is rare in fast bowling.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jhulan Nishit Goswami |
| Nickname | Chakdaha Express |
| Date of Birth | November 25, 1982 |
| Age | 42 years (as of 2025) |
| Birthplace | Chakdaha, Nadia, West Bengal, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Profession | Cricketer (Former) |
| Role | Bowler |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm fast-medium |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
| Teams | India Women, Bengal Women |
| Debut Year | 2002 |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Awards | Arjuna Award (2010), Padma Shri (2012) |
| Retirement | 2022 |
Jhulan’s biggest strength has to be her bowling. As a right-arm fast-medium bowler, she relied more on accuracy, bounce, seam movement and discipline than raw pace. This height enabled her to generate extra bounce which caused trouble for the opposition batsmen in all formats. She developed into a useful bowler with both the new and old balls. Over the years, she has been the most sentinel wicket-taker for the Indian team, delivering match-winning performances in Tests, ODIs and T20Is.
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WTests | 12 | 21 | 2266 | 764 | 44 | 5/25 | 10/78 | 17.36 | 2.02 | 51.5 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| WODIs | 204 | 203 | 10005 | 5622 | 255 | 6/31 | 6/31 | 22.04 | 3.37 | 39.2 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| WT20Is | 68 | 67 | 1351 | 1229 | 56 | 5/11 | 5/11 | 21.94 | 5.45 | 24.1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Although she is primarily known for her bowling, Jhulan made valuable contributions with the bat whenever needed. In Test matches, she batted with patience and technique and scored many lower-order runs. In ODI and T20I matches, she played a supporting role, emphasizing staying there and rotating the strike. Her batting never shone, but under pressure, she was effective and added depth to the Indian lineup.
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100s | 50s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WTests | 12 | 15 | 3 | 291 | 69 | 24.25 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| WODIs | 204 | 121 | 37 | 1228 | 57 | 14.61 | 0 | 1 | 69 | 0 |
| WT20Is | 68 | 46 | 9 | 405 | 37* | 10.94 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
Jhulan Goswami was born on November 25, 1982, in Chakdaha, a small town in Nadia district of West Bengal. She grew up in a very humble Bengali family; limited resources, but big dreams. From an early age, she began to show an inclination towards sports, especially cricket. Watching the Indian men’s team win the World Cup in 1992 left a deep impression on her and she felt that cricket could be her life. Although times were tough and facilities for women’s cricket were practically non-existent long ago, Jhulan persevered. She travelled long distances to attend training and worked hard on her skills as a fast bowler. Her height and strength, coupled with her steely determination, put her in good stead in domestic cricket, which led to her selection in the Indian team.
Jhulan Goswami has an estimated net worth of several million US dollars, her income comes mainly from BCCI contracts, match fees and brand endorsements and then mentoring and coaching assignments. Even after achieving international fame, she lives a simple and disciplined life. Jhulan strongly believes in humility and attributes her success to hard work and family values. She prefers to train young players and contribute to cricket rather than live a luxurious life.
Jhulan Goswami comes from a humble background, from a Bengali family. Her father worked in a factory, and her mother was a breadwinner. Financial difficulties remained a part of her life, yet her parents continued to support her to enter cricket. Even in difficult times, the family supported and encouraged her. Their support paved the way for her successful career.
Jhulan Goswami is a fundamental fast bowler, as she is committed to hitting the right line and length. Her run-up was smooth and she had great control over her bowling. Be it opening swing or bounce, she was a dangerous bowler in all situations. She created pressure by dotting the ball and forcing batsmen to make mistakes. Jhulan always puts team-centric success above her individual goals.
Read More: Poonam Yadav Debut, Stats, Age, Net Worth, Records, Bio & ICC Ranking
After retiring from international cricket in 2022, Jhulan Goswami maintained her connection with the game. She took on various mentoring roles, such as working with emerging fast bowlers and coaching teams in domestic league competitions. She is a great mentor due to her calm nature and conditioning and continues to inspire young girls across India to take up cricket, especially fast bowling.
Cricbites shares simple and clear cricket news for all fans. We cover match updates, player news, records and simple statistics. Our aim is to explain cricket in a simple way so that readers can understand quickly and enjoy every update without confusion.