“Anyone wants to pick me in their team” – Jhulan Goswami ahead of Women’s IPL

Jhulan Goswami has expressed her interest in being a part of the inaugural edition of the Women’s IPL. The 39-year-old seemed excited to see if any of the franchises would avail of her services for the tournament.

The legendary pacer received a fitting farewell from the Indian Women's team as they secured an ODI series sweep against England Women at Lord’s on Saturday (September 24). The Women in Blue also registered their first ODI series win in England since 1999.

Speaking to Sportstar, Jhulan Goswami said:

“The BCCI hasn’t formally announced anything about the Women’s IPL, so let things be formalized and then we can think over it. But then, it also needs to be seen whether anyone wants to pick me in their team (laughs), so you have to factor in a lot of things. It does not entirely depend on me, so we will have to wait and see how things pan out and if and where I fit in.”

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Thursday (September 22) confirmed that the Women’s IPL will be held in February 2023. In a press conference, he said:

“The BCCI is currently working on the much-awaited Women’s IPL. We are expecting Women’s Indian Premier League in February next year.”

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“I am keeping that option open” – Jhulan Goswami’s compatriot Mithali Raj on Women’s IPL

Mithali Raj during the 2022 ICC Women's World Cup (Credits: Getty)

Former Indian captain Mithali Raj has not yet decided, but thinks it would be exciting to feature in the Women’s IPL. Speaking to the ICC, she said:

“I’m keeping that option open. I’ve not yet decided. There are a few more months to go before the Women’s IPL happens. It would be lovely to be part of the first edition of the Women’s IPL.”

While Jhulan Goswami retired as the highest wicket-taker in international cricket (355 wickets), Mithali is the leading run-scorer across all formats (10,868 runs). Fans will surely be in anticipation of watching these star players once again in action on the cricket field.

As per the report, owners of the IPL franchises Rajasthan Royals and the Knight Riders Group have expressed their interest in owning a Women’s IPL team. Senior Indian players like Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana have also supported the idea of a Women’s IPL.